The Existence of Pain
by Gin Yuri
Summary: Five years after Sasuke left, Sakura is left alone and aching when she is hired to heal a tortured hostage of Konoha, the infamous Pein. As her feelings grow for the Akatsuki leader, she must decide where her loyalty lies.
1. Chapter 1

"Did you hear? They've finally caught one!"

"I know! He's being brought back in for questioning immediately."

Haruno Sakura paused in the hallway to hear the nurses' conversation. Leave it to the hospital staff to gossip about things no one other than a shinobi should hear. Doctors and nurses in the Konoha hospital sometimes heard things they shouldn't, since they had to know the specifics of how a shinobi patient got hurt. But they did tend to get careless, and that could mean the leaking out of important secret information. Today, however, Sakura had heard of no new news, so her curiosity got the best of her. Pretending she wasn't a hypocrite, she leaned against the door to hear more clearly.

"It's about time they were discovered. After giving us so many patients, one of _them_ was bound to get hurt eventually."

"It was Jiraiya, wasn't it? The one who captured him?"

"That's what I heard. He was up in the north looking for Akatsuki after all."

That was enough. As a head medic at the hospital, Sakura couldn't let the nurses speak freely about that S-class group. She stepped into the doorway to shout at them, reaching for the doorknob.

"I heard that whoever it was, was a really high criminal. He apparently knows the whereabouts of every missing-nin alive."

Sakura froze, hand still touching the doorknob. Her mind whispered one name to her. _Sasuke_. Someone was being brought to Konoha who knew where Sasuke was? Her hand slowly released the knob and she took a step back from the door, hitting her back on the opposite wall. She could still hear the faint voices.

"That's amazing. How do you know?"

"I overheard Shizune speaking with that, uh, Hatake Kakashi about it. By the way, don't tell anyone besides Takya or Misurame about this. This is top secret stuff, after all."

"Of course." The woman laughed.

The door opened and the nurses stood face to face with a paled Sakura, her eyes looking past them. She focused on them suddenly and stood up straight, green eyes flashing like her usual self.

"You two know you're not allowed to talk about shinobi business you hear! If I catch you one more time, I'm going straight to Tsunade about this!"

That sent the nurses scuttling down the hallway in haste. Sakura fell back against the wall and rubbed her forehead. This was incredible. After five years missing, Sasuke had still never been caught. He was presumed dead by some. Others figured he might have joined Akatsuki after killing his brother. Naruto had gone to find him, as he promised, and he did, on his first search with the others of their 8 man team. But Sasuke had beaten him to an inch of his life and left him to die with the parting words, "Don't try to follow me again. If you do, I'll kill you as well as everyone you know and love."

Sakura had been the one to revive Naruto when the team found him. The emptiness in Naruto's eyes when he told her to give up searching for him. . . those eyes still haunted her dreams, ending each one with those horrible words. She didn't give up at first, she didn't stop hoping he'd come back, imagining she would see him walk through those village gates again. The first year, after Naruto left, was a blur of tears and loneliness without a word from either Naruto or Sasuke. The second was easier as she found the ease of pushing herself into her work to pass the time, even passing the Chuunin exams her second try. But the third year, when halfway through, Naruto's return meant a revival of bad memories and a broken promise, her feeble faith in Sasuke ever returning began to wane. That year, she succeeded in pushing him out of her mind, finally forgetting all the pain.

Pain. It was all Sasuke gave to her, from the moment she met him until years after he left. What good could ever come from that pain? And now, all that grief came rushing back to her in one fell swoop, bringing her to tears from the simple gossip of someone who _might_ know him. Sakura knew she was not over him completely, but to be this frail about him . . . She knew it was a stupid weakness, one that she could never confide in with Tsuande.

Tsunade! Could she tell her what was going on? Sakura wiped her eyes and took a few breaths to collect herself. She wouldn't let Tsuande know she had cried.

Footsteps down the hallway. Sakura swiped her hair behind her ear to see clearly. Shizune was running toward her, clipboard in hand and the other one waving her down.

"Sakura!" she called as she came to a stop before her. "Sakura, I need you to help get every Jounin on the look out."

She shoved the clipboard into Sakura's hand. It was a hastily written list of all the Jounin in Konoha, complete with an exploding note attached to the bottom for quick detonation. Shizune had crossed out several names and circled others.

"You need to get everyone here on border patrol STAT. They can find Izumo and Kotetsu for details. The circled are those that are to go to Tsunade immediately to group up and locate Jiraiya and subject. Do those first. And no written messages, the situation is too delicate for them."

"So it's true then?" Sakura asked. "There's an Akatsuki member being brought here?"

Shizune paused from her harried rant and seemed to look at Sakura for the first time. "Have you been crying?"

"Nevermind that and no! Is it true?"

"Yes, it's true, but I don't know how you knew. Tell every Jounin _only_ that information and get started now! Jiraiya should be within a few hours journey to the village."

"Yes, ma'am." Sakura headed for the door while she skimmed over the list of circled Jounin. There was Kakashi, of course, then Tenzo, Gai, and Shikaku. It was a good team, one that was used frequently for high – risk missions. Shikaku had wit, Gai had strength, Tenzou had technique, and Kakashi had all these plus experience.

Sakura couldn't help but feel proud of her old sensei, who, it was said, could surpass Tsuande as the strongest shinobi in the village. Kakashi, of course, always denied this, sometimes mumbling that Tsuande didn't have to do much to make him surrender. (Sakura only recently got the joke.)

She decided to find Kakashi first, then Gai, since their houses were both in the heart of the village. Tenzo's home was pretty isolated in a section of woods, and Shikaku lived out on the Nara property, of course.

"Sakura!" Shizune called out from behind her. Sakura turned.

"I forgot to tell you – go and see Ibiki in the Tower when you're done. He wants to speak with you."

Sakura groaned inwardly. Ibiki. She should have guessed. That man still made her shiver, even after working together on numerous occasions. However, on those 'occasions', she was usually hired to "clean up the mess," as he referred to it. To Sakura, it was called healing the near-fatal and sometimes revolting injuries prisoners received from Ibiki's interrogations. To go and see him meant that he wanted her to help keep the Akatsuki criminal from death. So that he could feel the pain of dying again and again, until he gave up whatever information Ibiki wanted. It was horrible work, and it was certainly enough to make Sakura avoid the man whenever possible. Luckily for her, he was a bit of a recluse anyway.

Reaching the door, Sakura tucked the clipboard under her arm and formed a few seals. In a puff of smoke, three other Sakuras stood next to her, awaiting orders. She assigned each one a Jounin and a short message. In a flash, all four Sakuras leapt away to different parts of the village to deliver the summons.

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Ten minutes later, four Konoha Jounin were on their way to intercept the Sannin Jiraiya on his way back from the Rain Country. Kakashi led the team with his dog-nin Pakkun, who was currently sniffing out Jiraiya's scent.

The group traveled in silence until Gai picked up his speed to meet the silver-haired shinobi. He spoke in a surprisingly quiet voice that he reserved only for missions.

"Kakashi," his face was grim, "Tsunade never let on which one of the Akatsuki members the old man caught."

"That's right," Kakashi replied lazily.

"You were closest with him. Did he tell you anything about who he was looking for when he left?"

Kakashi scratched his head. "That was what, ten, eleven months ago? I can't remember that far back."

Gai's face reddened and he looked ready to explode. Instead, he burst out laughing. "You must be joking, my rival!" he shouted.

So much for being quiet, Kakashi mused. "Jiraiya never told me where he was going. It was top secret information. Only Tsunade knew, and she had no reason to tell any of us. We'll just have to take what information is required."

"That doesn't seem to be helping our preparations," Shikaku replied from several yards behind. Kakashi had forgotten his excellent hearing. "The subject has been restrained, but we don't know how dangerous he is, nor could we have made any arrangements for his own abilities."

Tenzo glanced over at Shikaku. "We do know who it isn't, simply from Jiraiya's information on the group. Uchiha Itachi is dead, So is Deidara and Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu. That leaves Hoshigaki Kisame as the only known member, and Jiraiya said there were at least four others."

"Most likely," Shikaku responded, "these others are stronger than those members we have dealt with, considering they have not been sent to do the dirty work of the group. Their abilities are probably specialized and we can assume they have much battle experience."

"Shikaku, everyone, calm down," came the lazy voice from the front. "You're acting like we're off to kill a member. You forget he's already been caught. We're simply escorting Jiraiya and a subject back to the village. Simple as that."

Gai nodded and the group grew comfortably silent, each man thinking about who had been captured and what it meant for the shinobi of Konoha. An enemy hostage could mean anything from a similar retaliation from the group, or even an open attack.

They had traveled less than an hour when Pakkun interrupted the silence. "We're close," he said gruffly, his nose in the air. "He's got a man with him, late twenties, severely injured. Rain country, I think, from his smell."

Kakashi nodded and thanked Pakkun. In a few minutes, they slowed and leapt to the ground. This part was the most dangerous one, where one ninja had to prove his identity to the other before a presumptuous attack was made.

"He's a quarter mile away," said the dog.

Kakashi cupped his hands and made a distinct whistling noise that raised and dropped pitch like a message. A moment's silence, then a similar sound responded. They went back and forth for a few minutes until Kakashi gave the signal to keep moving.

The team walked forward until the old man was in view, waiting for their arrival. He sat on a felled trunk in a small clearing of trees. He was battle worn, but seemed to be resting but for his eyes, which constantly flickered to each teammate. His clothes were a bit tattered and stained with blood, but overall, he looked to be healthy.

"Kakashi, quick identity check." Jiraiya stood up and thought for a second. "What chapter of what book did I dedicate directly to your wonderful encounter in the Waterfall country?"

"That would be Icha Icha Tactics, Chapter 17, of course."

"Correct." Both men looked to be on the verge of a smile, but that would have been exceedingly inappropriate for on a mission.

"Now," Jiraiya started, "You probably are wondering exactly why you're here."

"We know why we're here!" Gai shouted. "You have caught a high member of Akatsuki alive!"

"You knew?" Jiraiya was amazed.

"The whole village knows," Kakashi said. "The question is, who?"

"Ah," the old man seemed happy to still have a card up his sleeve. He limped around the fallen trunk and picked up a body in black, tossing it to the ground at their feet.

The team quickly assessed the damage. The man did fit Pakkun's description. He was not wearing an Akatsuki robe, but a black mesh shirt and black pants. His entire body was cut up, and he had a gaping wound on his stomach revealing red organs that threatened to pour out at any time. There was a chunk of flesh missing from his leg, and his right forearm was mangled and broken, its bone sticking out at an odd angle. The man's face was pierced all over, even the bridge of his nose. On his forehead there rested an Amegakure forehead protector, with a slash through the Rain symbol.

"Who is he?" Shikaku asked.

"His name is Pein, and he _was_ the leader of Akatsuki."

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	2. Chapter 2

Sakura sat impatiently in the medical room of the Konoha prison. She hated being there; the room smelt of death and blood, not like the sterile hospital. Besides that, there was only the bare minimum of healing supplies. Prisoners were not given much regard in terms of top medical equipment.

She thought back on her conversation with Ibiki earlier. He knew, or she thought he knew, how much she hated working on interrogated prisoners.

"Why does it have to be me again?" she had asked him earlier while they were preparing the medical room.

He had frowned and shook his head as he picked out several antidotes from a shelf. "We go through this every time, Sakura. You're one of the few medics here who first trained as a ninja, earning you excellent experience with treating fresh wounds. You're also the highest recommended medic in Tsunade's book besides Shizune, who for some reason refuses to do this."

"What if I refuse?"

"That's the best part, Sakura - You don't refuse. You're too nice to refuse." he had said, plopping a box of supplies onto the medical table. He looked at his watch. "Now, I'm going to the front gates to intercept the returning team with the hostage. Wait here until I return with him. We'll do a quick run through of precautions once we know who it is."

"You don't even know?"

"No one does." He'd shut the door behind him, leaving Sakura alone in the stench filled room.

That had been over twenty minutes ago. The room was prepped and ready, and Sakura was getting antsy.

"Too nice to refuse, huh?" she mumbled to herself. "I'll show them nice. I'll tell them I'm too busy, or I have plans -" She sighed. She never had plans anymore. After pushing everyone away during her first bouts of depression years ago, Sakura had managed to keep only a select few friends - Naruto and Ino. They had never given up on her after all she went through after Sasuke left, and had helped her recover to be a successful medic, if not a workaholic. They kept by her side when they could, but the two of them were often out on missions. And, Naruto would be out with Hinata, or Ino with her other friends. Sakura would be selfish to want all their time to herself. So she threw herself into her work at the hospital, and was usually successful in keeping out painful memories.

Footsteps down the hallway. "Shit, shit, shit!" It was Ibiki's voice. Sakura sat up, startled. He never got this upset.

"Calm down, Ibiki. This isn't a problem. We'll just take more precautions than usual." Sakura recognized the second voice as Jiraiya's, the old man who trained Naruto a few years back.

"More precautions won't change what he's capable of!"

Kakashi's lazy voice responded. "You sound a bit worried, Ibiki. I didn't think you were one so easily intimidated."

"I'm not afraid of him, Kakashi!" Ibiki shouted, "I just don't want to see the village attacked in an Akatsuki attempt to free him!"

The door opened. Ibiki stepped in, furious, and held the door while Kakashi and Gai carried in a body. Tenzou, Shikaku, and Jiraiya walked in after them.

The men placed the body on the table in the center of the room. Sakura stood up to see him clearly.

He had an attractive face, with piercings on his nose, lip, and ears. His hair was a mess of bright unnatural orange that was soaked in blood, sticking some hair to his face. Although unconscious, the man seemed to have a solemn, almost angry, look to him. His face was so interesting and perfect, Sakura couldn't look away.

"Who is he?" she heard herself say.

Jiraiya moved to sit in the chair. He sighed and crossed his arms. "You all know that the past few years I've been collecting information on Akatsuki. A few months ago, I found a lead that told me exactly where an Akatsuki member was, specifically, the leader of the group. I decided to go after him, not telling anyone but Tsuande of my plans. To keep a very long story short, I fought him, and I won, but only because he had been wounded already. I was able to knock him out without killing him. Afterwards, I sent an urgent message to Tsunade and requested back up in case I ran into any trouble bringing him back. And here we are."

There was a moment of silence as the group studied the man on the table.

"The leader of Akatsuki," murmured Shikaku. "Jiraiya, you said he was already wounded?"

"I'm sure of it. But there was no evidence of who it could have been. I'm just happy for the good luck, because hurt as he was, he still put up a strong fight."

Sakura finally looked up from the man's face. "What's his name?"

Kakashi's face shot up but Jiraiya answered. "His name is Pein. He's apparently a missing-nin from the Rain Country, but strangely enough, he lived _in_ the Hidden Rain Village along with dozens of followers. But everyone I asked in that village denied knowing who he was. . ."

A faint moan echoed throughout the room. Every eye focused on the man on the operating table. In an instant, the four Jounin leapt forward and held him down, although it seemed he was still unconscious.

Ibiki looked pointedly at Sakura. She nodded and picked up a vial from the desk. It contained the cruel liquid that would paralyze a person from the neck down, while still allowing them to feel pain. She drew the fluid with a hypodermic needle, holding her breath as she injected it carefully into the crook of his arm.

This was one of the worst parts of the job – paralyzing the prisoner from the start. It was almost like she herself was sentencing him to death by torture. This man would now be incapable of channeling his chakra, or forming seals, or even scratching his nose. He wouldn't be able to do much besides breath and speak.

"Finished," she said as she pulled out the needle, taking another glance at Pein's face. How could someone so handsome be so evil? A familiar face flashed into her mind, but she pushed the thought away. She didn't have time to think about _him_ now.

Sakura examined his wounds. He had an open fracture on his left arm and a good amount of flesh missing from his leg.

"Will you be okay to treat his wounds?" Gai asked, almost condescendingly. Sakura frowned back at him.

"I can take care of them, thank you. This isn't my first torture victim, Gai."

He shrugged and opened the door again. The others except for Ibiki followed him out.

Ibiki stopped in the doorway. "Kakashi and I will be guarding the door for the first shift, Sakura. You know the drill."

"I'll check in every hour. Oh and make sure Jiraiya gets to the hospital before he disappears again!" He nodded and shut the door.

In the sudden silence, Sakura sensed that uneasy feeling she got whenever she was alone with a hostage. No one captured by Konoha was a person to get anywhere near. She turned slowly to the table, her eyes flitting from the man's mangled leg to his broken arm to his beautiful face again.

She stepped closer, leaning down to inspect his piercings. Her hand ghosted over his face as she counted. Three through the nose, two in his lip, six rings and one bar through each his ears.

Suddenly his eyes opened and Sakura jumped back with a yelp. He looked blankly at the ceiling for a moment before his focus slid straight to Sakura.

His eyes were as bright orange as his hair, and strangely calm, considering his predicament. Heshouldn't have woken up this early, she thought, staring back at him. But here he was, awake before she even began healing him. Sakura swallowed hard and looked away, remembering what she was there for. But even as she turned to the desk, she could feel his eyes on her, causing her to shiver.

She picked up a clamp and a few metal pins from the desk. Taking a breath and turning to the table, she saw that he was now looking intently at the supplies in her hand. Did he realize he was about to have his arm set without any sedatives?

Sakura placed down the clamp and pins and gingerly lifted up his arm. He was wearing a black t-shirt that gave her plenty of access to work.

"Where am I?" he asked. His voice was low and a bit weak.

Sakura paused. "You're in the medical ward of the Konoha prison." She placed the clamp over his arm.

She began twisting the clamp shut. It would push the bone back into place, but she knew it was incredibly painful to experience.

"This will hurt," she said as the clamp tightened, clicking with every twist. She expected gasps of pain or curses or screams, like some others did during this procedure. But the man remained quiet. She glanced up at him, thinking he had passed out; but his eyes were back on her. The piercing orange color seemed too bright to be natural. They didn't seem like the eyes of a killer.

After the clamp was in place, Sakura inserted the three medical pins into his arm, holding the bone where it was. The clamp was removed.

She checked her work quickly and then stood over him with her eyes closed, concentrating, gathering enough chakra to begin sealing the fracture.

"Who are you?" His voice interrupted. She peeked one eye open to look down at him.

"My name is Sakura. I'm your medic here." A fluorescent green bubble of chakra surrounded her hands. She placed them over his arm and pushed her chakra into it. She kept her eyes closed to focus, or, at least that was what she told herself. She wouldn't admit that she didn't want to look into his eyes again. They just seemed too . . . peaceful. It was unsettling, knowing who he was.

The man was silent as she worked, moving down to heal his leg after she had finished his arm. Finally, she inspected the cuts on his chest. She would have to remove his shirt to work freely on those.

She used scissors to begin snipping away at his shirt until it fell in pieces on the table. It revealed a thin but muscular body, with nipple piercings and two navel piercings.She couldn't help but smile. What was the leader of Akatsuki doing with nipple piercings? It was like a bad joke.

"Is something funny, princess?" He startled her again. She whipped her head up to respond sharply, only to see that his eyes were closed again.

There was no point in getting into an argument with a patient, anyway.

"Calling me princess . . ." she mumbled angrily as she pushed her chakra into the gashes on his chest. But his chest was shaking with what she swore was laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

In the Hokage's Tower, one blonde Sannin was fast asleep at her desk, an empty bottle of sake still in hand. A sharp knock on the door woke her up mumbling.

"Wha- Ah, come in!" She tossed the bottle away. Jiraiya stepped in and shut the door quietly behind him. His face was grim as he surveyed the messy office, littered in stacks of undone paperwork.

"Tsunade, I'm flattered that you cleaned for my arrival," he said, flashing a slightly lopsided smile. But Tsunade could read that face anywhere – it was the expression people had whenever they felt bad for her and her drinking problem. She sighed and leaned back into her chair, her eyes on the ceiling. It was far too early in the morning for this.

"Don't you have a mission report to give me, Jiraiya?" The man chuckled and held up some paperwork. Finding nowhere to put it, he tossed it onto her lap.

"It covers everything until the point where the subject was left detained at the prison." He waited expectantly for a pleased answer from Tsunade as she skimmed over the paperwork. After all, it wasn't often that he finished his mission reports so prudently.

"This is horrible," she muttered, tossing the papers on the desk. Jiraiya's smile faded as Tsunade rested her head in her hands. He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Hn. I didn't think I did such a bad job."

Tsunade looked up at him with a somber face. "I mean this whole situation, Jiraiya. This guy was strong enough to keep under his control a group of the most feared criminals in the world. How can we know what he's capable of?"

Jiraiya glanced around and found a chair under the mess of papers. Clearing it off, he pulled it up to the Hokage's desk. He had known from the moment he wrote that message from the Rain Country that she would not be happy with the circumstances. It was understandable. Regardless of whatever they could learn from the man, simply having him in the village was a huge risk.

"I know you're worried," he began, "but think of all the damage this man could have done had I not caught him. Akatsuki has been growing stronger and more dangerous every year, and no matter how many members we kill, they seem to keep finding more. Now that we have their leader, we have the power to dissolve the group for good."

She looked up, "But if they come looking for him . . ."

"Then we can hold them off until we kill him. You're forgetting, Tsunade, that these men are nothing but rogues without this man's guidance. They won't be able to formulate an attack plan. You know the old saying, 'Divide and conquer'. It's true. Akatsuki will be helpless without him. They may disperse completely and they're likely to abandon their plans to capture all Jinchuuriki."

He watched Tsunade's expression alter suddenly. He had hit a critical point. He knew Tsunade would do almost anything to protect Naruto. It was actually his own desire to protect Naruto that convinced him to bring the leader back for questioning. If he, Jiraiya, could do anything to save Naruto, he would do it as well. But Tsunade still appeared worried.

"You're forgetting, Tsuande," he said assuringly, "that the man is being detained in a permanent state of weakness. He won't be able to fight back, or communicate with the others. And I knocked him out pretty good, too. I doubt he'll even wake up for days."

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Back in the medical ward of the Konoha prison, Sakura was getting frustrated. She had reports to fill out, and was having a hard time getting her patient to comply. The criminal was currently lying silently on the table, but she knew he was awake. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be deep in thought.

"Do you have a history of any severe illness?" Sakura paused with her pen on the paper, not really expecting an answer.

"Yes. Slight insanity and some severe irritability." His low voice was a nice interruption from the usual silence of the room. The hoarseness he had when he first awoke was gone, leaving a pleasing male voice.

"And any family history of disease?"

"A strong inclination to violence and perversity."

"Any heart problems?"

"No."

"Allergies?" No answer. His eyes were glazed as if he was off in thought.

"Allergies, Pein." His eyes shot towards her at his name and once again Sakura was awed by their bright intensity.

"Allergies, yes." He said, "Bothersome kunoichi make me itch."

Sakura's jaw clenched as she wrote down 'N/A' on the form, just like every other answer. The man just wasn't cooperating. Why wasn't he taking any of this seriously?

"Do you realize the situation you're in?" she spouted angrily.

He raised an eyebrow at the question. "I do. I'm a hostage of the Hidden Leaf Village called Konoha. I have been paralyzed from the neck down, left with the ability to feel pain, so that I can be in good physical condition to be tortured until I am killed."

Sakura stared at him for a moment. Did he feel no fear? No anger? No regret?

She decided that now was as good a time as any to ask the man what had been on her mind all morning. She put down her clipboard and bit her lip in thought.

"Listen," she began, leaning towards him, "I know that you were a powerful person outside this prison. You led and controlled criminals. That means you must have had a lot of connections." She paused, waiting for a response. But his eyes were shut and he said nothing.

"Pein, is it true you know where every missing-nin is?"

He was silent for a minute. "I haven't given you permission to call me that."

"That's not the point. Could you tell me something about a boy who ran from Konoha?"

He just looked at the ceiling and didn't respond.

She stared, then looked away dejectedly. What was she, crazy, to put her hopes in an Akatsuki member? He would not tell her anything, of course. It had just been a long time since she had let her hopes run that high. The sudden pain of disappointment was familiar.

Sakura turned away, trying to push back the oncoming tears. She was a fool to still be thinking of him. These lingering feelings were her own fault, just like the tears were.

"Why don't you threaten me?" he asked. She wiped her eyes and looked back at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm powerless, and you have me here alone," he said slowly, "Why aren't you threatening me?"

She fought for an answer. Why wasn't she? It hadn't crossed her mind to resort to violence. This was different than throwing a casual punch at Naruto. This was a place where a person could legally be tortured until they wished for death. But looking into his bright eyes, so strong and alive, she found she had no desire to harm him.

"I- I couldn't-"

The door suddenly creaked open, revealing one lazy Copy Ninja with his usual book in hand. Sakura instinctively took a step back from the table.

Kakashi raised his eye to her own. "Sorry to startle you, Sakura," he said lazily, but there was a flicker of something strange in his voice.

He glanced down at the table, where the man looked unconscious as ever. "Ibiki asked me to check his chakra levels."

Sakura nodded and stood back as her old sensei reached for his forehead protector. She turned away, pretending to read over her notes as he approached the table. Although she tried to hide it from Kakashi, Sakura always made sure never to look into his Sharingan. It would bring back memories and emotions that she never wanted to feel again.

"Oh, Kakashi, he's awake now."

"I gathered that, Sakura, because he's looking at me."

She risked a glance over her shoulder. Kakashi's back was to her, but he was obviously looking at the man's face. Pein was looking up at him, his bright eyes unreadable and his expression blank.

"He seems to be properly anesthetized. He's got a ton of chakra, though, so be on guard whenever you're around him."

"Kakashi, you never give me enough credit."

"Of course I do, Sakura. I just hope you know what you're dealing with here."

She heard him lower his protector down again and she turned back to the men.

"I'm done here, Kakashi, do I have permission to leave?"

"As soon as you fill in Ibiki on what you know. He's waiting in the hall for you."

It was clear he wanted Sakura out of the room. But having no excuse to stay, she grabbed the forms and walked out. It took her a minute to recognize what she felt as she shut the door behind her. It was apprehension. Why was she so worried about what Kakashi was doing in there?

Pushing the thought aside, she greeted Ibiki, who was leaning against the wall a few yards away.

After about ten minutes of reporting her findings on the patient's good overall health, quick recovery, and very uncooperative answers, Sakura was interrupted by Kakashi stepping out of the room. He seemed angry, which was unusual for the lazy ninja. Sakura could only really tell because his book wasn't out and his hands weren't in his pockets.

He walked up to them and seemed to collect himself.

"Good luck interrogating him," he said to Ibiki, finally pulling his book out again. "He wouldn't say a damn thing to me."

Ibiki seemed amused. "He spoke plenty to Sakura here. But I'm sure I can get him to talk. Give me five minutes with anyone and they'll talk." He gave a disturbing laugh that made Sakura flinch. Kakashi even looked taken aback.

"Ibiki," she blurted out, "The patient needs to rest, to finish recovering. I don't think you should begin the interrogation until tomorrow." Wait, why had she said that? She knew Pein was healthy enough to begin immediately. Her mind was racing as she heard Ibiki's reply.

"Whatever you say, Sakura. You're the medic here."

Did he notice she was lying? Did she give it away? He must know, she thought. After all, it was his job to know if people were lying.

"Will he be kept in the medical room?" asked Kakash idly.

Ibiki nodded. "For tonight he will. Sakura, give him a fresh dose of immobilizing anesthetic before you go home. Kakashi will take over guarding him for now, I'll be leaving early."

"Right." Sakura took the opportunity to hop back into the room, shutting the door behind her.

She leaned against it and took a breath to calm down. She was being foolish – Ibiki had no reason to doubt her medical opinion. But why on earth did she say that? It was as if she wanted to save him from suffering. But, to save _him_? He was a murderer, a criminal he – he was the leader of Akatsuki! And she just gave him a full day's rest out of pity! Wracked with guilt, she tried to overcome the urge to vomit. Her breath was in rattles as she sunk to the floor.

"Back so soon, princess?" Pein asked calmly. Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore.

"Shut up!" she shouted, "Don't you _dare_ speak to me! After all you've done – to the village, to Kurenai, to Naruto, to S- Sasuke! Just leave me alone!"

She finally gave in to the tears that she'd been holding in, trying to be quiet but finding no way to fight the sobs that rose in her throat. It wasn't fair that they asked her to do this. Who could possibly handle taking care of this man? He was a monster, she was sure of it. To seem so kind, so normal, and then to also be something else entirely . . .

She wiped her eyes dry and stood up shakily. At the desk, she filled another needle and turned to the table, taking care not to look at his face. She tried to touch him as little as possible while adjusting his arm, and after injecting him, she walked to the door without another word. In a last moment of bitterness, she turned the light off and slammed the door shut.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Kakashi sounded concerned. He was crouching on his heels in the hall, his perverted book open. Sakura nodded and forced a smile, not trusting herself to speak at the moment.

She walked away from the prison utterly thankful that she had the rest of the day off. In fact, she didn't have to go back to the hospital until Pein was done being questioned, and she no longer had to heal him. On that day, he would be executed. Sakura had a ruthless wish for that day to come soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Not far outside the borders of Konoha, a small band of criminals lay in wait for contact from their Leader. All four members left had gathered once they found out he was caught, but after receiving another telepathic message from him to hold off on an attack, they camped out to wait for further instructions. But that was over twelve hours ago; now the sun had set and the stars shone brightly over them, inviting them to sleep, although none of them would.

Kisame lay lazily on a high tree branch, his large sword balanced on his lap. He didn't look it, but he was itching for a fight. Being so close to the target, and resorting to hiding, wasn't his style. Below him, on the forest ground, sat Konan, Tobi and Zetsu, all silent and deep in thought. None of them had spoken since their last contact with the Leader.

Most of the criminals were usually comfortable with such silence, but this was the first time any of them had seen Tobi so withdrawn. He was always the loud one, excited and ready to make a joke out of any situation. Now he sat as still as the others, tolerantly waiting for instructions. Kisame glanced down at the others, noting once again how few they had become. To fall from ten strong, down to four, was disheartening to say the least. He had felt no particular attachment to any member besides Itachi, and now that he was dead, Kisame felt that the group would never feel the same.

This wasn't the first time Kisame had flirted with the idea of leaving Akatsuki. Sometimes, the only reason he stayed was for fear of Leader's punishment for abandonment. But if Leader died at the hands of Konoha, Akatsuki as it was would likely die with him. Who would lead them then?

Not Zetsu; he could hardly keep his personalities under control, let alone run a group of missing-nins. Tobi, from what Kisame knew of him, was nothing but a hyperactive kid the Leader kept around as a replacement. And Kisame would rather die then take orders from a woman, no matter how strong Konan was. He himself had no desire to lead. That left them with two options – either save Leader from Konoha, or disperse as a group entirely. Kisame didn't know how much longer they could risk waiting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next afternoon, the sun shone brightly as ever over Konoha. Sakura couldn't help but take her time on the busy streets on her way to the prison. It was too beautiful out, she mused, to rush to that dreary room in the prison basement.

She glanced at her watch. By now, Ibiki must have begun his first torture session with Pein. She didn't know how long he would take, but the first time with a new patient usually lasted a few hours. Ibiki had to test a prisoner's limits and reactions to different methods before beginning the actual questioning.

Despite the hot day, Sakura shuttered as she approached the prison behind the Hokage's Tower. It was a small one-story, since most of the structure was underground, and it blended in with the surrounding buildings. There were no signs that pointed out 'Prison'. Most villagers wanted to pretend it didn't exist. The dark underside of politics and negotiation were too much for them.

Inside the prison, the basement hallway was dimly lit and unsettlingly quiet. There were a half dozen doors on either side, each of them labeled, and a few that were soundproofed. Sakura opened the door of the medical room to find it dark and unoccupied.

Pein must have still been in session with Ibiki. She ignored the horrific images that popped into her head. She told herself that he deserved whatever he got.

Sitting down to wait, she looked over the charts that she filled out yesterday regarding his health. He was strong and in good condition, aside from his numerous scars and warped mind. But what else did she know about him? His name, his reputation, and his body were all she had to guess from.

And what about those piercings? They were fascinating to say the least, and she wanted to know the meaning and story behind each one. She remembered his fiery eyes and how they met hers in such an intense stare, as if he was looking straight into her soul.

Sakura was still daydreaming when Ibiki opened the door.

"Sakura, I'm all done here. Time to work."

She nodded and followed him to the interrogation room. He held open the thick metal door, letting out a blast of a retched smell, like sweat and blood. The room was white and brightly lit, its tiled walls covered in shelves and cabinets filled with various torture devices. In the center was a metal chair, with a hinged back and iron cuffs on the arms, front legs, and neck. Locked under these shackles was the bloodied figure of a man, his head resting forward and his body limp.

Sakura panicked for a moment before realizing his chest was moving. He was still breathing.

"What did you do today, Ibiki?" she asked weakly. His smirk wasn't a welcome answer.

"Just clean up the mess, alright?"

"Yes sir."

He closed the door behind him. Sakura walked towards the chair, wearily accessing the damage. The man was basically unrecognizable. Hundreds of cuts littered his body, lingering from small scrapes to long gashes. Across his arms striped large brown burn marks. His neck, shoulders and chest sported dark bruises. The left side of his ribs was severely bruised and it indented sharply, signaling a broken rib.

His arm, the one Sakura had just healed yesterday, was broken again. Ibiki had taken out the medical pins and stabbed the arm with them. They stuck up in odd directions from his skin.

Stepping closer, she could now hear his deep irregular breaths and watch his built chest rise and fall. She wanted to see his face, and look into his eyes again. Was he still defiant? Or had Ibiki broken him yet?

Sakura's hand reached out for his cheek. She tilted his face up, turning it to her own. His face was cut, but not badly; the blood was mostly whipped onto him. One earring from each ear had been ripped out. The bridge of his nose was scratched and bleeding, but the piercings remained in place.

Bright eyes slowly opened and met her own, and all the anger she felt yesterday disappeared.

"You're done for today," she said, hoping she sounded more professional than she felt.

His answer was a sharp breath and his eyes closed again. She realized her thumb had been stroking his cheek and immediately she pulled her hand away.

Sakura took out the needle and vial she had brought with her and began administering another dose into his good arm. He didn't move as she touched him and injected the serum.

"Uh, Pein?"

A pause and a sigh. Finally he said weakly, "Yes, princess?"

She ignored the joke for now. "Don't fall asleep, alright? I need you conscious to make sure I don't make any mistakes."

"Ah, we wouldn't want that."

Sakura began undoing the cuffs that held him to the chair, taking extra care around his broken arm. Underneath them, his wrists and ankles were cut up and swollen.

"Were you allowed movement?"

He let out a soft laugh. "No," he said, before spitting out some blood, "Electric currents make the body convulse."

"I'm going to heal you now, so try to relax. A steady heart rate helps the procedure."

She formed the familiar green healing chakra, and began by working on his ribs. He had internal bleeding, which had to be dealt with first. Then came the broken arm that she somberly put back into place again, this time without the aid of needles. The cuts and bruises would be the last thing to go.

After hours of working non-stop, Sakura was damp with sweat. Molding and pumping chakra into another person was tough work, even with all her experience. Finally she stepped back to wipe her forehead, looking over his body. He was in much better condition, but he was still covered in dried blood from his head to his feet.

Looking around the room, she found a towel and a basin, and filled it with warm water from a faucet on the wall. Walking back to Pein, she dipped the towel into the bowl and began wiping away the blood on his shoulder.

He flinched at the gentle touch, and his head shot up to watch as Sakura washed off his shoulder and began moving down his arm. She went slowly, gently rubbing off the dried blood and sweat to reveal the smooth tanned skin beneath. Her eyes flickered up from his arm to meet his gaze, until shyly she looked back down. He watched her silently until she stood to refill the basin.

"Sakura," His voice cut the silence of the room.

She turned the handle. "Yes, Pein?"

"Why are you doing this?"

She paused. "Um, I don't know. This just seems like the right thing to do."

Sakura turned and her eyes followed the trail of water that led to the drain beneath his chair. The tiled floor was scrubbed white, but it couldn't hide all the dark and red stains from previous occupants. Her eyes rose to the muscular body that lied limply on the chair. His black pants were still all that he wore, since Ibiki could care less about a prisoner's self respect.

She took a breath and began washing his other arm, enjoying the feeling of his skin much more than she should have. By the time she leaned over to wash his chest, she was less focused on cleaning him off and more focused on the way his chest was rising and falling quicker than ever.

She bit her lip and looked up at his face. He was looking at her through half-lidded eyes, his mouth slightly parted.

Sakura felt her body melt under his gaze. He was so beautiful, his face, so perfect. His piercings, which should have enunciated his wickedness, now were like precious metal that seemed to be a part of him.

She watched his lips move. "Don't stop."

Instantly, her hand began rubbing his skin again under the rough towel. How could she say no to him? She had started near his throat and worked her way down his chest, which in hindsight may not have been the best choice. She wasn't prepared for the low moan he emitted when the towel grazed over his navel.

Inhaling sharply, Sakura pulled away. She was suddenly brought back to reality. What was she _doing_? She dropped the towel into the basin and backed up, her heart pounding.

"I, uh, don't . . ." Sakura couldn't even form a sentence. She was sure she was blushing, judging from the heat that crept up her neck.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, "I appreciate your help." It was obvious he was trying to hide a smirk. That pissed her off enough to forget her embarrassment.

"Why are you smiling?" she shouted, stepping towards him, "You've already been tortured and you're going to be tortured again and again for weeks, so how can you take things so lightly?"

She sighed in exasperation when he didn't respond. "I don't understand you."

He was smiling broadly now; giving him a wonderful look that was similar to Naruto's beaming grin.

"You're so cute when you're angry," he said.

Sakura's jaw dropped. Did he just say that?

"Don't patronize me, Pein, and don't start thinking you'll have it easy if you flirt with the medic. Ibiki's going to get whatever information he wants from you, and then you'll be killed just like all the other evil men that have been brought to him."

"So you think I'm evil?" he asked.

She scoffed. "Why wouldn't I? We all know you're a murderer."

"That doesn't necessarily make me evil."

"What? If killing isn't evil then what is?"

He paused. "A government that oppressed its people to the point of slavery. Politicians that would rather lavish in luxury than feed their starving citizens. Police so strong and corrupt that no one could possibly face them to defend their right to live. That is true evil, more so than I will ever be."

Sakura stared at him. She watched his eyes flash with hatred as he spoke.

"You're talking about the Rain Country, aren't you?"

He looked away. "That was the Rain Country as it was before I came to power. I healed all the nation's wounds and returned freedom to the people. I ruled them fairly, and they loved me for it. If any of my actions were evil, they were simply to repay the debt some men owed to my country."

Sakura swallowed and struggled with her thoughts. Her mind knew that Pein was a cold killer, but her heart was asking what she had to base that fact on. Had Jiraiya known that Pein had fought to save his country? Or was this criminal making the whole story up?

Before leaving for the day, Sakura administered to him another dose of serum. This time, however, she didn't grimace at the touch of his skin. She remembered to close the locks that held him to the chair, even the one around his neck. He kept his eyes on the floor as she threw away the towel and gathered her supplies.

"That dose should last you the rest of the evening," she said, looking at her watch. She didn't mention that with such a strong amount of the paralyzing drug, he would probably be sleeping until the next morning. It was good for him, though, because he wouldn't feel the lingering ache from the healed wounds. After all, it wasn't painless for a body to adapt to new muscle, flesh and bone.

She was silent as she opened the door to leave. Looking back one last time at the still wet body of the criminal, his glowing orange hair covering his downcast face, she shivered and turned off the lights. In the hallway, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

Once outside, the busy streets were a welcome sight, yet they brought crashing down the reality of what she was feeling. If anyone knew that she was becoming attracted to a criminal, she couldn't even imagine the repercussions.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi released his camouflage jutsu and stepped towards the door he had been guarding. It was on a whim that he concealed himself while on guard duty, yet what he had discovered had interested him more than his Icha Icha books.

His ex-student had been panting in the hallway, returning from hours alone with the hostage. She had been flushed, and a bit panicked. She was even too distracted to realize that no one seemed to be guarding the door of a major criminal. What had happened in there?

Kakashi opened the door and saw the man just where he should be. He appeared to be fully healed and drugged, as well. What caught his attention was that the criminal was, in fact, clean. He groaned inwardly. She had apparently washed him off. She had taken the time to _clean_ the leader of Akatsuki.

He remembered the day before, when she had asked, in such a strange voice, what the man's name was. Kakashi hadn't heard her sound like that since . . . well, since Sasuke.


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura walked home from the prison with every intention of forgetting about its inhabitant. But his words kept surfacing in her mind, bringing her back to their conversation earlier. He was a mystery to her, and the first person in a long time to capture her attention.

Why didn't he scream and curse at her, like all the other torture victims? He accepted her help and had spoken to her not as a lowly prisoner, or a dangerous S-class criminal, but as her equal.

It amazed her that a man with such passion and devotion to his country could end up on the wrong side of the bingo book. It made her wonder what it would take to turn someone bad. And was what he had said true, that evil was just a perception?

She remembered Pein's smile, which reminded her so much of Naruto. If such a situation arose, would Naruto do anything for Konoha? The answer, she knew, was yes. There were so many similarities between them, from their wide smiles to their passionate minds.

But they were so very different as well. Naruto was straightforward and loud, and wore his feelings clearly on his face. Pein was . . .

Sakura sighed and looked up at the sky, where the sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon of the village. The days always seemed so much shorter when she was inside. On some busy days in the hospital, she wouldn't even see the daytime sky, so even getting out now was a treat.

There were now a few small clouds in the distance, painted orange from the setting sun. Orange like his eyes, his hair . . . what was she getting herself into?

"Oi! Sakura!" a voice called from above.

She looked up to see Naruto and his familiar wide smile, poised crouching on a lamp post. He was wearing his ANBU outfit, all black with light metal armor. His fox-like ANBU mask was pulled up over his head; confirming that he must have just returned from a mission. Or, that he was about to leave for one.

"Hey, Naruto, I was just thinking about you," she said.

He leapt down to the street with the swift grace only an ANBU had, and gave her a big hug.

"What's this for?" she said, making herself bear the embrace. She didn't like hugs.

"I got assigned a last minute mission today," he said, pulling back excitedly, "This is so great – Granny Tsunade hasn't let me take on a big mission for so long!"

Sakura grinned but secretly suppressed the worrying feeling she got whenever Naruto left the village. She believed Tsunade was right for keeping the boy safe. But he could only be kept inside for so long; it wasn't in Naruto to sit and wait things out. Besides, it was obvious that now that the Akatsuki leader was within the village, Naruto would be safest elsewhere.

"Where are you headed?"

"The Moon Country, I'll be gone for a few weeks tops. Isn't it great though? I haven't seen Hikaru in years!"

Sakura remembered the spoiled child they had met on their Moon Country mission a few years back. And after knowing Naruto for just a few days, the child had learned to love and appreciate his family and friends.

Naruto's power to change people's hearts was even more inspiring than his physical strength. Sakura truly believed that he had changed her as well, only she didn't realize it back then. He had helped her through the worst years of her life, and he never lost faith in her.

She and many others owed him so much, and he never wanted anything in return besides friendship. Sakura felt herself smile at the thought.

"Hey, Sakura, I wish you could come with us!" Naruto said, "Too bad you didn't try for ANBU. I know you would have gotten in!"

She shook her head. "I couldn't, Naruto, you know I would rather heal people than hurt them. Besides, I've got important work to do here."

Naruto's face brightened. "Of course you do! You've got one of the most important jobs in the village!"

Sakura looked at him blankly before realizing that he didn't know. Tsunade must have kept it a secret from him. Knowing Naruto, he might try to ditch the mission to get some answers. But he would want to know more about their hunt for the Jinchuuriki, not about Sa-

Sasuke. She had forgotten to ask Pein about him again, even after swearing when she got up this morning that she would ask him. How could she forget?

Maybe it was all the stress and the energy she used to heal him. That made sense. It was the only reason.

"Hey, Sakura, you alright?" Naruto was looking at her strangely. "You look upset."

"Naruto!" called a harsh male voice. Both shinobi turned to see another ANBU jog towards them. Under a mouse-style mask, Sakura didn't recognize him, but whoever it was seemed angry.

"Our check-in time was five minutes ago! Now put your mask on, we're leaving!"

"Oh, man, sorry Captain," apologized Naruto, pulling on his mask. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Sakura!" With that, the two men jumped onto the nearest rooftop and disappeared.

Sakura shook her head at Naruto's absentmindedness. He was becoming more and more like Kakashi, always being late and popping in whenever he felt like it. She didn't know how Hinata put up with it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, Sakura tossed and turned in her bed for hours, exhausted yet unable to sleep. There was one nerve-racking thought running through her tired mind – why did she feel this way? It was driving her crazy that she, the analytical kunoichi and medic, apprentice of the Sannin Tsunade, finally met a problem she couldn't solve. Because that's what he was, a problem, a puzzle . . .

"That's it!" She said to herself. She threw off the covers and swung her feet off the bed.

She had finally realized what this fascination was – The man was simply a puzzle to solve, like a challenge. He was unlike all the other prisoners or criminals she ever met, so she had unintentionally focused on him to try and figure him out.

Sakura smiled through her window at the clear night sky as sudden relief washed over her.

"That's all you are, Pein," she murmured, "A new face, just something that's caught my attention for now. No more, no less."

She felt like laughing. And here she thought that – that he meant something to her! It was just some paranoid delusion. She was no foolhardy traitor, but a bored medic that was interested in a patient. It all seemed so simple when she looked at it that way!

Sakura curled back into the covers, still grinning from her own foolish thoughts. Within minutes she was asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura cameto work feeling wonderful under her epiphany the night before. She was relaxed and secure, and opened the prison door believing her brief emotional anxiety was over.

Walking down the basement hallway, she saw Gai leaning against the wall outside the interrogation room. His face was abnormally grim for the usually flashy and loud man.

"Hello, Sakura," He said as she approached him. "You're a bit late, Ibiki should be finished soon."

She forced a laugh. "Kakashi's lateness must be contagious. He's still in the room, then?"

As if on cue, the door opened with a blast of stench and a blood-splattered Ibiki stepped out. He slammed the door behind him and stalked away without a word. Gai and Sakura watched him until he disappeared into his office.

"Well that's not a good sign," Gai mused after a minute, "I'm sure you won't like the amount of work you've got today."

She nodded and held her breath as she opened the door. Gai purposefully stayed a few feet away, keeping the room out of sight.

When she first saw him, Sakura froze in the doorway in shock, trying to figure out how Pein was still sitting in the chair.

Both his legs were broken at the calf, with bone pointing in every direction. Under the breaks, his feet were twisted in odd angles. His right arm was hanging limply off the side of the chair, dripping blood from a deep wound in the dislodged shoulder.

All this she saw in a second before she covered her eyes, whimpering. She knew the horrifying image would never leave her, and she suppressed the urge to run away. The damage was almost too brutal to bear.

As she peeked her eyes open again, she noticed that Pein was indeed on the verge of falling off the chair. The only thing that held him up was the latch around his neck.

Sakura braved a few steps forward, and the medic side of her mind immediately began accessing what had to be done, and in what order.

His legs would have to be fixed first. Although Pein's legs looked like a mess, Sakura hoped they would be clean breaks. Ibiki had acquired the 'kind' habit of breaking bones neatly, since they caused just as much pain to the victim and were a great deal easier for the medic to heal. If a bone shattered instead, the small pieces would lodge into the flesh. Then it was unlikely that the bone would ever mend completely, even after hours of healing. Sakura knew Ibiki tried to make things easier for her, but accidents did happen.

Her eyes roamed up his body, noticing more burns on the inside of his arms, several broken fingers, and a few bloody holes that looked like the damage of a knife.

She slowly lowered her head to peek under his wet hair at his face beneath. He appeared to be sleeping. But then, whenever he closed his eyes he seemed asleep. His face was just that calm all the time.

It was time to get started. She found a clamp among the shelves and knelt down before his right leg. It was more gruesome while up close, and she had to extend the clamp all the way to fit around his leg and the bone that stuck up almost perpendicularly.

She set up the clamp, but her hand paused before turning the knob. If this was any other patient, she would never dream of working on this leg before numbing him. Couldn't she just give him a local shot to numb his legs?

No, of course not, she scolded herself. He was too drugged up as it was, and although she wanted to help, the unknown side effects of mixing drugs was too dangerous. Ibiki wouldn't have approved, anyway.

Bracing herself, Sakura gripped the knob and turned. The bone slowly began to push back into the flesh, and as disgusting as the scene was, Sakura was happy that the bone had only split into two.

The bone in place, Sakura then drew out her chakra until her hands glowed green. She worked to fuse together the bone, then the muscles, the tissues and veins. It was over an hour before she finally pulled away the clamp, revealing the bruised but mended leg.

She stood to wipe the sweat off her brow. Bright orange eyes met hers, making her jump back.

"Dammit, Pein you scared me."

"Hn. How?" His head was still resting on his chest, but he looked up at her with interest.

"Well, you were asleep, and then . . . You know what, forget it."

"Forget what?"

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm happy to see that you're conscious."

"You need me awake to be sure you won't make a mistake."

Sakura froze. That wasn't what she meant at all.

"Of course."

There was an awkward moment where neither spoke. Sakura had suddenly remembered the strange intimacy the day before. Or technically, what she had been thinking while it happened. What was the etiquette here – should she apologize, or pretend it never happened?

Sakura decided to go on healing him without bringing up such an uncomfortable subject. And maybe, just maybe, he had forgotten about it anyway.

But speaking of forgetting . . .

"Pein," she started, "I have to ask you something,"

He just looked at her.

Sakura bit her lip. Here it goes. "I asked you a question the day you came here-"

"Came here? That's one way of saying it."

"-and I wanted to know if you could tell me where someone is," she breathed out.

Pein looked thoughtful. "You did ask me that," he said, "You mentioned a missing-nin?"

"Yes. His name is Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha."

He looked away, his face expressionless.

"Please, Pein," she said, grabbing his arm. "I have to know where he is. If you have any information on him, if he's alive, if he's safe, please tell me!"

When he didn't answer, Sakura turned away, mentally cursing herself for her never ending stupidity.

"He's alive." Her heart stopped. His voice had been soft, almost a whisper.

Sakura turned slowly. "He is?" she said weakly.

He raised his head to face her, or as much as he could while latched to the chair. "That's all I can tell you though. I don't know where he is."

Sakura nodded slowly. He was alive. That was more information than she'd heard of him for years. She felt a rush of emotions that were far from the relief she thought she would feel. The fact that he was still alive drew tears of happiness in her eyes, but it also caused a wake of hurt and betrayal. She couldn't fight the sinking feeling rising inside of her. Sasuke was alive. But what had he been doing for five long years, while she was here worrying, hurting, trying to forget? Did he know he was missed? Did he regret his actions?

It seemed that this one answer just brought on more questions.

Sakura wiped her wet eyes and pushed her hair behind her ears. She realized that Pein was expecting her to say something. He didn't look angry, but interested, as he watched her work out her feelings. It wasn't the first time she wished she could tell what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm being so selfish. Let me finish your legs."

"Appreciate it," he said, "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten."

Sakura winced at the remark and silently knelt before his other leg to wrap the clamp around it. Although she expected a joke at her expense, Pein didn't even seem to notice her presence anymore. He looked to the floor with glazed eyes, seeming to be miles away.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, on the count of three, I'm going to push your shoulder back into place."

"You don't need to count."

Sakura nodded and gripped his muscled arm, slick with blood. His skin was cold to the touch, and she could feel his muscles spasm on their own.

She gritted her teeth and pushed the arm back into his torso. It slid in place with a snap and brought on a new surge of blood from the gash.

"Damnit, Ibiki," she muttered and called up her chakra to fix the cut, even as it bled. The wound was deep and would take a while to heal.

"What connection do you have with Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sakura's chakra flickered and died in her hands. He had caught her completely off guard. They hadn't spoken much for hours, since she began healing his legs and feet.

"Wha – ah, well, he used to be a shinobi of Konoha."

"There are currently over a dozen missing-nin from the Leaf Village. Why him?"

She swallowed and looked at her feet. She couldn't handle meeting his tough gaze right then.

"I knew him from our days at the Academy, when we were little. We graduated together and then Sasuke was a part of my Gennin team for a year. Then he . . . he left so suddenly when we were thirteen . . ."

She paused, wanting to spill everything out like she never had before. But to talk about it was so painful. It reopened old wounds and tore her apart inside.

Pein's eyes had never left hers. "Go on," he said, and she did. She had to. All these feelings inside were screaming to be let out.

"Sasuke left and I couldn't stop him. I tried and he left anyway. But I made Naruto promise to go after him, and he did. We saw him once and he tried to kill him, but Naruto kept searching, he wouldn't give up. He wouldn't go back on his word. When he finally found him again . . . S- Sasuke beat him almost to death . . . and he – he told him not to follow him again, or he'd kill him and everyone he loved . . ."

Sakura's small sobs now prevented her from speaking even as she tried to stifle them with her hand. She had turned away from him, unable to look into those eyes while she spoke of Sasuke. He was the bane of her life, the love of her life, and everything in between. And now, years after she knew him, the thought of him could make her break like this.

Pein had waited patiently as her cries turned into sniffles and she collected herself. But still she turned away from him, distraught yet embarrassed for herself.

"You love him," he said simply.

Sakura nodded and took a shaky breath. She hadn't broken down like that in years. And she had been doing so well.

"Yes, I love him, Pein. I loved him from the moment I saw him. And I loved him years after he left, even while people said he was crazy, or evil, or dead. I never believed them. Sasuke was, and is, who he had to be. They would never say those things if they knew him like I do." She wiped her face and finally turned around.

His face had shown a brief flicker of emotion, something Sakura couldn't catch before he was back to his placid expression. Now it was his turn to look away.

"I'm sorry I brought this up," he said softly, sounding sincere. "But I admire your faith in him."

She nodded, running her hand through her hair. Despite all her efforts to suppress her emotions, the act of releasing all her frustration gave her a strange sense of peace. She breathed in deeply and almost coughed on the stale air.

Suddenly she felt entirely foolish. Here she was crying and pouring her heart out to a tortured criminal, as if her pain was anything compared to his.

"Don't be sorry, Pein, I should be. Let's get back to treating your wounds instead of talking about me."

"Can't we do both?" he asked. Sakura glanced up in surprise. But then, she realized, anyone sitting in a room by themselves all day would want some conversation. It was only human.

"Um, sure. What do you want to know about me? Where do I start?"

He feigned a look of concentration. "Well, how about you start at the beginning. And when you get to the end, stop."

She laughed and shook her head.

"You're ridiculous." She began calling chakra to her hands, but focusing was more difficult this time. It was amazing how this man had turned her from tears to laughter in just minutes.

"How about something more specific than my life story?"

"Okay. Why are you a medic?"

She placed her glowing hands on the wound, aiming to connect the broken blood vessels and ligaments hidden within. "I always had a knack for healing, even when I was training as a Gennin. I learned to appreciate it more every time I helped a comrade, especially when I got to the level of saving lives. It's incredible, really, being able to help someone when they need you most."

"So this is about feeling needed?"

"What, no! It's about helping, Pein. It's about giving people a second chance at life."

He was silent for a moment, and Sakura saw the irony of her statement. Giving Pein a second chance meant giving him another day of torture and agony. That was, at least, if he felt pain. She had never seen someone so quiet and placid while their very bones were reshaped, and their flesh reformed.

"Do you still feel like you're helping, now, with me?"

He had been thinking what she was. "Of course I do." She focused on mending the muscles that were shredded by the cut.

"I know that I'm helping you, if for no longer than a day, and it's better than letting you sit here in agony until the next session."

"So you don't want me to suffer?"

"I don't want any one to suffer." She looked at him defiantly.

"Not even me."

"Not even a cruel bastard like yourself."

"Why thank you, princess, I didn't know you cared."

"Stop trying to get me angry. I _am_ still working, you know."

"Oh, is that what you're doing?"

Sakura suddenly realized her chakra flow had disappeared. She glanced down at her hands, no longer glowing, but resting on his shoulder. Well that was embarrassing. Turning her attention to him had caused her to lose her concentration again.

She whipped her hands away and almost ran one through her hair before realizing it was now coated in blood. She settled for placing her wrists on her hips.

"Pein, I can't work if you keep sidetracking me! Do you want me to heal you or not?"

He gave a cute smirk, knowing he had succeeded in making her angry. "Am I that distracting to you? I thought we were just making conversation."

She tilted her chin up. To admit that he did distract her meant admitting that she found him interesting. And, although he was interesting, and distracting, and attractive, and purely captivating . . . Ugh. How would she get her work done at this rate?

She waved her hand away to dismiss his remark, hoping he couldn't tell the internal battle raging within her. "Pein, you couldn't distract me if you had a bird on your head."

Sakura was pleased to hear his low laugh. Unfortunately, the laugh turned to a cough and he spat out some blood, landing on his chest and chin. But she knew he wasn't damaged internally; the blood was just the effect of the stress on his body.

But she grabbed a towel nearby and began wiping the blood off of him, this time making sure to be quick about it. She dabbed the towel over his chest to wipe it up, then she raised it to his chin . . .

Her green eyes met his fiery orange gaze, making her hand graze his cheek entirely by accident. She felt like she was falling into him, slipping away from her body as her fingers moved over his parted lips. What was this feeling, like a nagging in the back of her mind? It went ignored while her head tilted down into his until –

"Sakura." His voice penetrated the daze she was in, and her body froze. What was she thinking? Her face had been so close to his, too close to be comfortable.

Pein blinked and turned his head away as Sakura took several large steps backwards in shock.

This was more than she could handle. She didn't want to look at him, or touch him, or hear him, she just wanted to be gone. He was well healed enough, she told herself, but her mind refused to deal with anything else right now.

Within a minute she had administered the dose, locked him down, cleaned up the room, and ran out, slamming the door behind her.

Sakura stepped into the hallway and hastily walked away, ignoring Gai, leaning against the wall, who had stopped mid-yawn in surprise. He watched her disappear up the stairs.

"Strange girl," he muttered, and crossed his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

Konoha's famous exceptional weather was starting to wane; several dark clouds were spotted on the horizon, and there was a noticeable chill in the air, even for dusk. It was the time of day when the sun has gone down, and the stars aren't out yet, but they are almost visible in the sky because you know that they're behind the fading curtain of daylight.

Most stores were either closed or on the verge of closing, dimly lit by the streetlamps that lined the road. Aside from the hospital, the bars, and the The town was silent and settling into sleep, and most villagers were inside for the night.

Several late shoppers and passerby hardly noticed a lone girl sitting on the stoop of her apartment, lost in her own thoughts. Her vibrant pink hair was dulled in the moonlight, spilling over her downcast face. Her sweater and pants were cast in shades of blue and gray, allowing her to blend in well with the steps. She didn't even notice when a couple had stopped to stare at her, until a pair of feet appeared in her line of vision.

"Well if this isn't the saddest sight I've seen all day," said a familiar female voice.

Sakura looked up to see her friend Ino's smiling face, beaming down at her like she found a puppy. Beside her, and farther back, stood Shikamaru, hands in his pockets and his expression a bit more concerned than his girlfriend's.

"What's wrong, Sakura dear?"

Although she wasn't the emotional type when it came to other people's problems, Ino now sounded sincere. After all, even though they called each other rivals, Ino had helped her get over Sasuke. As flaky and gossipy as she usually was, when it came down to the important stuff, Ino was a true friend.

Sakura ran her hand through her hair. "Just a bad day at work, I guess. Nothing to worry about, really." She forced a smile to enhance her lie, but she couldn't deny the pang of guilt for lying to a concerned friend.

Shikamaru answered her this time, while pulling a pack from his pocket. "You certainly look like you're worrying about it." He struck a match and lit up a cigarette in his palm. The fire created an orange glow over his face as he took a puff, and Sakura watched, entranced, as the smoke billowed over his head and into the sky.

Ino glanced at Shikamaru and nodded. She turned back to Sakura, who was now staring past the curling smoke.

"You know what you need, Forehead?" she said, "You need a night out at Yuuan, I can tell."

Yuuan was the name of Ino's favorite bar, the always crowded, always loud, see-everyone-you-know type of bar. Although it was almost exclusively intended for shinobi, it was exactly the kind of place Sakura hated to be in. She only put up with it sometimes just to humor Ino, as a favor to her friend. But now wasn't one of those times.

"Thanks, but I don't think so, Ino-pig. I'm just not in the mood."

Ino stamped her foot, making Sakura and Shikamaru jump. "Bah!" she waved her hand away, "You're never in the mood to drink! You haven't gone out in months, all you do is work! Keeping yourself shut in like this will never earn you a boy, Forehead!"

Sakura winced at her shout that had disrupted the silence of the entire block. A group of stragglers down the street stopped to stare. Realizing Ino would whine until she got what she wanted, Sakura sighed and stood up.

"Fine, Ino, I'll go to Yuuan with you, but only for a bit."

"Yes! I knew you secretly wanted to party!"

"I don't! I'm not staying long."

But Ino was already pushing Sakura up the steps and inside her apartment.

Sakura's home was small but cozy, including just a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. For years she had been living on her own, since before her parents were killed by roadside bandits while traveling to visit friends. She, like all shinobi, had been encouraged from childhood to sever all bonds with family, civilians, and anything else that would make a ninja think twice about taking on life threatening missions. When her parents died, Sakura was freed of all non-shinobi ties.

The few people who saw her apartment were always surprised to learn that not everything was pink and green, like her. In fact, it could have been considered tomboyish, if it weren't for the stuffed animals here and there. Her furniture was dark and there were only three picture frames in the entire house,

Ino, having visited Sakura's house many times, went straight for the closet;

After a minute or so of Ino rummaging through her closet, and Sakura fixing her hair and makeup, and Shikamaru contently finishing his smoke outside, Ino shouted in success. She pulled out a little black dress; the one Sakura got as a gift but never wore, the one that showed off her body the most.

"Ach, Ino, I'm not wearing that!"

The blonde pouted. "But Sa-ku-ra! It's too damn cute not to wear! I won't back down on this. Now hurry and put it on, and I'll wear this adorable blue one."

Sakura sighed and caught the dress that Ino threw at her.

Ten minutes later, the three teens were out and on their way to the bar. Ino had annoyingly hooked her arm around Sakura's as they walked, as if to rid any chance of her escaping. Shikamaru lagged behind with his usual bored expression. Sakura wondered briefly if he even had wanted to go. Ino hadn't even asked, assuming he wanted to change plans as she did. But not hearing a complaint, she decided the lazy boy was fine with tagging along.

"So, Sakura," Ino began, "I heard a bit of news about you today that I just couldn't ignore."

Here it comes, Sakura thought. She should have known Ino had an ulterior motive for dragging her out tonight.

"I heard," she said, pausing for dramatic effect, "that you were healing a torture prisoner of Ibiki's!"

"Ino, you know I can't talk about that." She didn't like how her friend got interested in her work only when there was some piece of gossip involved.

"Why not?! Everyone else is talking about it! I heard it's somebody important, like a gang leader, or even an Akatsuki member!"

Sakura hesitated a second too long, giving Ino the answer she needed.

The blonde gasped. "It's Akatsuki then? Oh, Sakura, you have to tell me everything!"

"Ino," Shikamaru hissed from behind them, "We'll talk about this inside."

Sakura was thankful for the interruption. Sure enough, they were nearing the bar, with its usual loud crowd out front. Ino released her to primp herself up, finally whispering in her ear, "Hey Forehead, if Shika and I want to leave early, can you get home alright?"

Sakura nodded and pulled down the hem of her dress – it was far too short to be comfortable. She most likely would leave before they did.

The crowd outside consisted of mostly older shinobi who she didn't know. They stopped talking as the trio approached, clearly eying the girls. Shikamaru instinctively walked in front, meeting the gaze of each man until they looked away. But Sakura could feel their eyes on her as she passed, and she cursed herself for letting Ino talk her into wearing this dress.

The moment they walked into the bar, the stench of beer and smoke hit their noses. There was a dull roar of voices, music, and the clanging of cups. But the atmosphere was friendly. Yuuan, being at least one of the better kept bars in the village, wasn't too dark or loud, making it comfortable for dance or for conversation. Besides, since only shinobi were allowed in, it wasn't sketchy at all. Some people, like Ino, would know everyone there on a given night.

"Here we go!" Ino led them to a more private table, and called out for three bottles of sake as they passed the bar. Once seated, Ino and Shikamaru across from Sakura, their conversation quickly turned to interrogation.

"So, let's hear it, Forehead," she prodded, "It's an Akatsuki member that you treat, isn't it?"

Three bottles and glasses were hastily placed on the table and a young waitress rushed away. Sakura poured three glasses, taking her time while her mind was panicking.

"Calm down, Ino," said Shikamaru, "she doesn't have to say anything,"

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief before he continued.

"But I'm interested to know as well, Sakura. There's definitely something going on, and as much as I don't want to admit it, this much gossip can't be wrong. The best Jounin haven't been given missions in days. There are guards outside the prison 24/7. Even most of ANBU has been called back to the village. Is something happening we should know about?"

Sakura gulped her drink. She had no idea that going out with Ino would entail risking a village secret. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone when or why she was called to work at the prison, but Ino had figured that out long ago. Sometimes Ino seemed to know everything.

"Oi! Shikamaru!" a voice called from across the bar. Up to their table ran arguably the hottest shinobi in the village, Kiba Inuzuka. He hadn't changed much over the years, maintaining his unkempt look with ruffled hair and baggy clothing. His clan's stripes were now hardly visible between the low lighting and the flush of his cheeks.

He flashed his signature toothy smile and plopped down in the seat next to Sakura.

"Hey hott stuff," he said, running his hand around her waist. Sakura almost choked on her drink and had to force down a cough. Since when was _Kiba_ so friendly to her?

"I haven't seen you here in a while. Did Ino finally drag you away from the hospital?" He glanced up at Ino, who jumped at the chance to intervene.

"Actually, Kiba, Sakura's been working at the prison, on a dangerous criminal!"

"Ino!" Sakura hissed back. Didn't she know the meaning of confidential information?

"Oh really?" Kiba leaned in a bit too close for comfort, and Sakura could smell the alcohol on his breath. He reeked of it, explaining his overly familiar behavior. But she couldn't deny the effect he had on her; he was handsome and funny and arrogant and had just about every attribute that would attract a girl to a dangerous man.

His glazed brown eyes locked on hers and she suddenly wished they were orange.

"Ino's talking about stuff she shouldn't be, Kiba. I'm working at the prison, but that's all I can say."

"You also said he's in Akatsuki," the blonde butted in again.

"I did not!"

"You might as well have. I know he is."

"Maybe I lied! He could be from anywhere-"

"So it _is_ a he."

Sakura groaned and resisted the urge to kick Ino, deciding instead to pour herself more sake to calm down.

"Is it scary working with him? Like, he's a criminal and you're right there with him."

"No, he's not scary at all. He's actually really nice when you get to know – ouch, Kiba, stop it!" The boy had been pinching her side again, trying to get a rise out of her.

"When you get to know _who, _Sakura?"

"Nobody."

"Did you just say he was nice?" Shikamaru added.

This was too much. "I'm not telling you all who it is, so you can stop the interrogation and let me be. Now, I'm going home."

Three shocked faces watched down her drink and hop out of the booth. She power walked out of the bar, passing the drunken crowd outside. Their shouts and catcalls earned them an explanatory finger as she walked away.

She slowed down once she got farther down the street, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. It wasn't like her to get so defensive like that. But Ino knew better than to pry a secret like this out of her, especially over drinks! If she had been just a bit drunker, she might have said something bad.

"Sneaky Pig," she said to herself, shivering in the cool night air.

The stars and moon shone brightly as any streetlamp, guiding her way back to her apartment. She watched the moon as she walked, wondering if this was the best she could do with her life. Everyone here was content with drinking and gossiping and flirting with everyone, but Sakura was never really into that scene. Konoha shinobi had grown complacent with their boredom in the village, between missions, and a bar had become their haven. What sort of life was that?

This was part of the reason why she never quite liked the others, and they had never quite accepted her into their circle as the years went by. When the others were out having fun as Gennin and Chuunin, Sakura was nursing a broken heart and throwing herself into her work. So, it made sense that as the others gained Jounin status, and she stayed at the hospital, it had become understood that she wasn't one of them anymore. The Konoha 12, which had become the Konoha 11, was now subtly down to 10.

Sakura allowed her intoxicated mind to wander around the past, something could never do while sober. Eventually her thoughts turned to Pein, especially the way she had been so close to him today, and how she had to face again him the next day. Was he embarrassed by her actions? Or did he shrug it off as just the mistake of a young girl? Or maybe . . . maybe he felt the same way. He might have wanted to kiss her too. Well, he certainly didn't seem bothered by her. In fact, all had done was say her name and she had fled like a rabbit.

She wanted to know so badly how he felt, but it wasn't something one just brought up in a conversation. Excuse me, Pein, did you want to kiss me as much as I did? Did you like it when I washed you?

This was hopeless. The man was being broken and tortured, and all she could think about was whether or not he had a crush on his medic.

Deep in thought, Sakura let her feet lead her away from her street, towards the center of town. Suddenly she found herself in front of the prison.

She snapped out of her memories and froze in the moonlit street. Why had she gone here? Quickly turning around before anyone saw her, Sakura suddenly felt ridiculous in a dress and heels, a drunken medic wandering the streets after dark. There were guards somewhere around that building, ones that remained invisible and alert for hours on end. They had to have seen her.

Cursing herself for her stupidity, Sakura strode around the Hokage's Tower to make her way home. Something about the building was bothering her as she passed it, but she couldn't figure out what.

That was it. Through her foggy mind she realized that the light to the Hokage's office was on. That wasn't right; Tsunade never stayed there later than she had to. Something was wrong.

Sakura stood fighting an internal battle. Should she go see if her mentor was alright, even if it meant going there drunk?

Before she could even make that decision, the big front doors of the tower creaked open, quietly but swiftly, and two figures stepped down into the street. One was whispering furiously to the other, and she couldn't make out what he was saying. Though shadows hid their faces, it was obvious that Tsunade and Jiraiya were the ones walking so swiftly down the street, not even noticing Sakura's presence.

What else could she do? Sakura focused on hiding her chakra signature and slipped out of her heels, carrying them as she followed the pair. She had to jog just to keep up, and the whispering between the two didn't cease. They didn't see the dark figure darting through the shadows a few hundred yards behind them.

It looked like they were headed towards the village gates. Why there? A flash of worry hit her – was it Pein? Did something happen? Just that thought pushed her to jog a little faster and follow a bit too closely behind.

They were in fact headed to the giant front gates, which were slightly parted. The gates were never supposed to be open tonight. The space left between was no more than ten feet across.

Jiraiya and Tsunade grew silent as they neared the gates. The two patrol guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, were there, as well as Gai, Kakashi, Tenzo and Shikaku. Yeah, something big was happening. Sakura slunk back into the shadow of a porch while they solemnly greeted each other, whispering what she couldn't hear.

She had expected something to happen immediately; but they waited, standing around anxiously for half an hour. Sakura's legs were cramping up in a crouch, but there was no way for her to move or leave without being noticed. It was too quiet, and it was hard enough to shroud her chakra for so long.

Eventually she heard faint footsteps on dirt; it was coming from outside the gate. She held her breath and the Jounin all tensed up, forming a half circle around the entrance with Tsunade straight across. From her angle, Sakura couldn't yet see what Tsuande saw.

There was silence from within the gates. It was as if the whole village was waiting for this arrival. Sakura wanted nothing more but to run out from her hiding spot and end this uneasiness. Finally, a foot stepped through the gates, then another. The tall male figure stood casually while looking around at the group, a bag in his hand and a katana slug across his back.

He finally focused on Tsunade with a handsome stern face, striking black hair, and endless dark eyes. It was all so familiar.

It was him. Sakura's legs gave and she ended up kneeling in the shadows.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Tsunade was saying, "Have you come here alone?"

"Yes." His voice made her tremble.

"And have you kept your agreement?"

He threw the bag to the ground in front of her, which opened partly, revealing a mess of papers and other things Sakura couldn't see clearly enough to recognize.

Tsunade picked up the bag, leafing through some of the papers for a few moments, before muttering, "Very well."

"You'll be escorted to my office, Sasuke, where we'll discuss the details of your return and scratch you out of the bingo book."

He nodded and remained silent as the Jounin closed in on him.

"Your weapons, Sasuke," said Kakashi. The boy hesitated, then slowly pulled out the sheathed katana, placing it in his old sensei's hands. He tucked his own hands under his clothing and presented an array of needles, kunai and shuriken, dropping them onto the street.

He showed no emotion towards Kakashi. He didn't glance at him any longer than the other Jounin, or show any hint that they had previously trained every day for years. Maybe it had been too long ago to feign familiarity now. Sasuke was different, he was five years changed, and it showed.

Tsunade tucked the papers away and watched as the weapons were discarded. The Jounin arranged themselves with Tenzo and Jiraiya in front, and Gai and Kakashi behind him.

She turned to lead the group back to the Tower.

"Welcome home, Sasuke."

A/N: Sorry for the delay - but thank you so much to my reviewers, you keep me inspired!!!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you so much to all reviewers! Your comments really really make my day. Please enjoy ; )

How was this possible? Why was he back? Sakura's head flooded with questions as she knelt helplessly in the dark corner.

It had been so long since he left, but she had never forgotten his face, not for a second. Even without their old team picture that still graced her dresser, she would remember those deep eyes and that cute scowl. But this man in front of her now was so different, so unlike the child that he once was.

He had the same features, of course, but they were hard to recognize in the dark. That perpetual frown seemed less angsty and more emotionless now, and his black eyes were cold and calculating as he calmly looked around. There were dark circles under his eyes that accented in slants down his cheekbones, reminding Sakura sharply of his older brother. His hair wasn't quite as ruffled, and he had grown taller and more muscular.

Everything about him told her that he wasn't quite the same person. He had clearly seen too much death, and had likely caused it.

The little group walked silently back to the Hokage's Tower, towards Sakura. Fortunately she had managed to keep her presence masked from the Jounin even while in such shock. She was well hidden, she knew, yet she still held her breath as they neared her.

Tsunade passed by so close Sakura could have reached out and touched her. If she cared to glance down in the right spot, Sakura's cover would have been blown. But somehow none of the Jounin noticed her there. She watched their faces as they passed, all grim and on edge.

Only one face looked at her through the darkness. Sasuke was suddenly right there, so very close to her, his face so perfect and so blank. In that instant, his black eyes met hers and she felt a chill run up her spine.

He definitely saw her, alone and kneeling on the ground in a dress at night. She felt suddenly afraid, not of getting caught by the others, but of him. His eyes were eerily empty and detached, a killer's eyes. A surge of panic froze her to the spot.

Her lips started forming a word of their own accord. But before she could breathe out his name, he had looked away, looked straight ahead as if he never saw her. He hadn't even broken his stride, and no one else had noticed his glance at the shadows.

Sakura didn't allow herself to exhale until they were out of earshot. She threw her hands on the ground, her hair spilling around her face, and fought the nausea building up inside. Her mind was racing, but all she could seem to concentrate on was his name.

"Sasuke," she whispered weakly, to the silence all around her. His name had once been a bell in her heart; it was her motivation, her essence, her strength. But it now sounded different and foreign to her, now that she could fit this new face to the name.

Why was he back?

She forced herself to stand up and find her way to the tower. That's where they would be headed, like Tsunade said. Maybe she could wait outside for him, until everything was settled?

She paused at the crossroads between the tower and her house, trying to focus her thoughts on the moment. If she handled this one step at a time, she thought, she might make it through the night without a nervous breakdown.

No, she decided, she couldn't wait for him. She really had no idea how long it would take them to deal with whatever it was they were doing. Besides, she couldn't possibly do any good in the state of mind she was in.

If only she could talk to someone about this – after going so long without speaking of Sasuke, all she wanted to do now was spill her guts to someone, to share her pain. Yes, Pein, that was who she wanted to talk to. He listened to her like Naruto and Ino never did. It calmed her down a bit to know that tomorrow she could talk to him.

She headed back to her apartment, shivering in the cold and dreading the long night ahead. She would get no rest, tossing under the sheets without anyone to unburden her heart to. It would be the earliest hours of the morning before she would finally drift into an uneasy sleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Tap. Tap. _

The sharp sound on the window woke Sakura up with a start. She sat up. Warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the window curtains, proving she was late for work. Cursing herself for oversleeping, she tried to get up, not realizing she had been twisted in her bed sheets. With a loud thump she hit the ground in a heap.

Another tap, and a sharp headache began to set in.

"Ugh, I'm never drinking again," she mumbled, untangling herself. She had been having such a nice dream, too. It was something about herself and a stranger, the two of them alone in a white room.

She stopped struggling with the sheets as she recalled the dream. The stranger was tall and handsome, and he had been kissing her, sliding his hands up her sides as she ran her hands through his soft orange hair. There was such passion in the kiss, such intense lust from both of them, that her legs were shaking and she seemed to be melting into him. She had felt safe, secure in his arms like he would love her forever. But then something went wrong. His grip suddenly tightened, and he held her to him roughly. Her stranger was changing, his bright eyes darkened, his hair grew black, and then he pushed her back forcefully into a cold metal chair. The white room turned black, and the stranger's eyes went red as he stalked towards her. She struggled but couldn't move. The chair was twisting around her, folding its metal over her arms and legs and neck, trapping her, and then the stranger laughed, and pulled out a knife –

_Tap. Tap. Bang._ Sakura's head whipped towards the window. A small white bird was trying to get in, carrying a scroll in its tiny beak. It had hit the window too hard and was now beating its wings furiously trying to stay airborne.

She pulled herself out of the sheets and opened the window. The bird flopped into her hands and spat the scroll into her hands. It flew away angrily as she unrolled the paper.

It was from Tsunade. After reading the first line, Sakura felt dizzy and sat down on the bed. She took a deep breath and began to read again.

_ A Message to all shinobi of Konoha:_

_ As of 4:00 a.m. this morning, the former S – class criminal Sasuke Uchiha _

_ has been reinstated as a Konoha citizen and his name has been eradicated _

_ from the bingo book. He is to be accepted back into the community as his _

_ past transgressions have been absolved by me under my own authority. _

_ Under my explicit orders, no one shall question him about his return nor_

_ hold him in contempt for those cleared offenses. Any violation of these _

_ terms shall result in strict penalty._

_ Signed, the Fifth Hokage_

After reading the message a third time through, Sakura finally convinced herself it was true. What she saw the night before was real, and Sasuke, her Sasuke . . . she would see him in Konoha again.

She clutched the note tightly in her shaking hands. If he was back, would it be like old times again? Would he even acknowledge her presence, or would he ignore her like he always did? She would have to find him, of course, even if she had no idea what to say. She could find him after work –

"Crap!" She was so distracted by the message that she had forgotten she had overslept. She ran to find her clothes and tucked the note into her pocket.

Using the rooftops as a speed way to the prison, she got there quickly but was no less than a few hours late for work. Kakashi was leaning casually against the door when she got there, still panting from her run.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi, I overslept," she began, but he waved off her excuse.

"You don't have to report to me, Sakura. Besides, there are more important things to worry about, aren't there?"

"You're talking about Sasuke." It felt strange to pronounce his name in a conversation again.

Kakashi nodded, his grey eye studying her carefully. "I know this must be hard for you, Sakura. That's why Ibiki and I think that, under the circumstances, you might want a bit of time off from work."

Sakura stared at the Copy Ninja until her mind finally processed what he meant. He thought she was late because of the Hokage's message, and that she wouldn't be able to deal with Sasuke's return! It hurt that Kakashi had such little faith in her.

"So you think I'm incapable of working, just because Sasuke's back?" She asked bitterly.

"Its not like that, Sakura. We just think you might need some time to adjust. It's going to be a change having Sasuke back, even for me."

"You're not taking time off, are you?"

"No, but . . ." He rubbed the back of his head, trying not to say what they were both thinking. He seriously doubted that Sakura could just shrug off the fact that their long lost teammate had returned. He was probably surprised that she hadn't gone running after him the moment she got the message. Didn't he realize how much she had grown?

He really did seem concerned for her, though, and Sakura couldn't help but be grateful.

"I'm fine, Kakashi," she reassured him, "I'm not the little girl that he left here five years ago, and I can deal with this on my own. Now, please let me see my patient."

"You can handle him alright then?"

"Of course. Pein's an easy patient to deal with."

"I meant Sasuke."

"Oh . . . yeah. I know. I mean, I'll be okay. With Sasuke back."_Smooth, Sakura_.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "Alright, but remember, if you don't think you're up to this . . ."

"You'll be the first to know." She gave a thankful smile and backed into the room, closing the door behind her.

Inside, the interrogation room was silent as death. Sakura faced the door for a minute, resting her forehead on the frame, her hand on her mouth. She exhaled slowly to calm her racing heart. Part of her didn't want to face the man she knew sat a few yards behind her. Facing him meant explaining that fact that she almost kissed him yesterday. She almost kissed a criminal!

Why did she refuse Kakashi's offer? He had shown her a way out, a way to never see Pein again. But she couldn't do it. She wanted to see him, to talk to him, to touch him again.

Besides, this was something she had to resolve, not run away from. After all, running away was something Sasuke did. Not her.

She took a deep breath and turned around. Her heart leapt when she saw him.

There was Pein, sitting in the metal chair and slouched down as though asleep. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. No blood, no broken bones, nothing but a faint bad smell that was vaguely familiar.

She inched closer, not yet seeing his face under the mess of bright hair. His body was slick with sweat, but otherwise untouched. Sakura let her eyes wander over his tanned muscled chest and piercings, feeling her stomach tighten a bit.

"Good afternoon, princess." His voice was surprisingly shaky. "You're late."

He moved his head slightly to look up at her, and she took a step back in shock.

His face had paled noticeably and his cheeks were gaunt. Dark circles surrounded his bloodshot eyes, the red and orange mixing for a bizarre effect. A small trail of blood traveled down his chin.

He looked bad, and worn out, but he still gave her that cocky smile that covered any emotions.

All the inhibitions she had then were wiped away as she looked into his eyes. It was amazing that she could leave this room and forget them. Their intensity held her captive and she forgot to breath.

"Pein, I . . ."

She searched for the words to say. She suddenly felt very foolish, like a little girl caught in a lie. Would he even care if she apologized? She was nothing to him but a medic, anyway. He probably had no idea of the effect he had on her

Pein was looking at her expectantly.

"I . . . I'm sorry I'm so late. It was very unprofessional of me."

He said nothing.

She bit her lip. "Um, I'm glad you weren't more hurt."

His paled lips formed a small smile. "Thank you, Sakura."

And she saw his emotionless mask disappear for an instant, revealing something genuine beneath. Her body tingled as she smiled back, not daring to let herself believe what she saw in his eyes.

She inhaled sharply and suddenly recognized the scent in the room; it was the smell of burning flesh.

_Shit_.

Her eyes ran over his body again, this time swiftly looking for burn marks. She pulled his shoulders up to glance at his back – nothing. She unlocked the latches on his arms and legs, nothing again. Where was he hurt?

"Pein, what happened?" She was hesitant to ask. This was the first time either of them mentioned his torture, the reason why they were even there.

He didn't answer. But he did let out a little cough, and more blood poured down his chin, dripping to his chest.

Sakura grabbed his arm. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened!"

He sniffed and gave her a look as proud as Sasuke's, that look that said, 'I don't want any help, and I don't need it'.

"Stop being such a child, Pein!" she shouted.

His eyes flashed. "I am not a child, Sakura," he growled, "Here."

He looked down, and Sakura followed his gaze to his hands. He shakily opened them, revealing red, blistered, burnt skin, peeling off to reveal the bloody muscle underneath. The burning smell was coming from them.

Sakura winced at the sight of them. She gingerly picked up one and studied the damage, which was difficult to even look at. One of his fingers had been burnt down until the white bone was visible. Any normal person would be screaming in agony at an injury like this. But Pain wasn't any normal person, was he?

She noticed that no skin was singed or blackened. Fire didn't cause these wounds.

"Pein," she breathed, "This is an electric burn?"

He nodded, and managed a chuckle. "It took your man five days to realize that a man from the Rain Country would have an aversion to electricity."

Lightning beats water. That was something all ninjas learned back at the Academy. Could Ibiki really have overlooked something so trivial?

She should have known he wouldn't just take a day off. The interrogator had apparently been steadily increasing the damage to the Pein's body each session, which either meant that he didn't like the information he was getting, or, he wasn't getting anything at all.

She ran her hand over the back of his, cursing herself for not noticing his injuries.

"I'm so sorry I made you wait so long. I had no idea."

She really did feel horrible about it. She had overslept from drinking, leaving Pein to sit in agony with burning hands. But she would make it up to him by healing him as quickly as possible.

She formed a seal and soon was pumping green chakra from her hands to his own. Muscle covered bone, flesh covered muscle, and every nerve and tissue was created and set into place. She became locked into the work, hour after hour of chakra-induced surgery.

Finally exhausted and running low on chakra, Sakura finished sewing together the last bits of skin, and both hands were healed. She sank to the floor to catch her breath. Hands were about as difficult to heal as internal organs.

"Sakura." The sound of his voice made her breath hitch. She noticed the strange position they were in. He had such presence, calmly looking down at her as if sitting on a throne, while she was weakened and kneeling on the floor right beside him. The scene would have been erotic if they were anywhere else.

"Something was wrong when you came in."

Apparently that was a question. She might as well tell him the truth. After all, who could he possibly tell?

She pulled her legs around her to sit on the floor, leaning on her hands behind her.

"I overslept today because Sasuke returned last night. Tsunade accepted him back into the village." She looked at the dirtied white tiles as she spoke. "I don't know what he did to get back in, but apparently everyone's supposed to go on like it never happened. Like he wasn't gone for five years, like he didn't get people killed chasing him after he ran away."

"Are you sure he's back?"

She looked up to see him staring intensely at her. He looked different, more wild and awake. This was the Akatsuki leader before her now. This was the man that killed easily and demanded respect.

"I'm sure," she said slowly, "Why – wait, why is that important to you?"

"And are you sure you don't know what deal he made?"

"Pein, what are you talking about? You said you didn't know him!"

"I said I didn't know where he was. I never said I didn't know him."

Sakura leapt up. "What aren't you telling me?"

He was staring at the door. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her, only to see his eyes glazed again. His face was passive and expressionless as ever.

She realized he wouldn't tell her anything, anyway. Even the great interrogator Ibiki couldn't get information from him. What chance did she have?

Letting go of his face, she walked to the table to pick up the sterile needle that held his dose.

She administered it into his limp arm, watching him stare into space.

"Pein," she whispered. "I'm leaving now."

She angrily began latching his limbs back to the chair.

"And to think that I _wanted_ to talk to you," she muttered to herself.

He suddenly snapped out of it and looked at her. "You wanted to talk to me?" His voice had gone from hostile to genuinely curious in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, Pein," she said, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?"

"Well, nothing, but it may have seemed like –"

"Oh, yeah, like you were going to kiss me." He certainly was calm about it.

Sakura just gulped and felt a deep blush rise up her neck. "I don't know what came over me, I'm really sorry."

He just laughed, but not unkindly. "You're a very pretty woman, Sakura, and I'm just a man tied to a chair. A kiss from you would have been very welcome. But if you don't mind, I have some business to take care of." And he closed his eyes.

Sakura had to fight the urge to scream at him. What was he doing, complimenting her and telling her to leave all in one breath?

"Business to take care off, huh?" she scoffed as she slammed the door shut behind her. He certainly did have a strange sense of humor.


	9. Chapter 9

Omg a fanart!! - AnimeSenko drew a beautiful PeinxSaku picture – it's adorable!! If only there were more pictures with these two - (hint hint!) here's the link:

animesenko. deviantart. com/art/ PeinSaku-A-Painful-Love-68445086

this chapter may seem SasuxSaku at first, but it's not. Trust me.

(I made a consistency mistake last chapter, but no one seemed to notice...so I might just not change it. I just want to see if anyone could find it.)

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The late afternoon sun glared brilliantly down on a lone girl standing idly at the front gate to what was once the most treasured clan of Konoha. She hadn't moved for a while; her eyes were set on the old rotting wood of the gates before her, parted slightly for access, but obviously not to welcome strangers. The stone walls were not too high for her to jump over, but then again, they weren't necessary to keep intruders out. The reputation and brilliant power of the Uchiha clan had done that without the aid of walls and gates.

Every major clan had their own property in the village, especially the older, elitist ones, like the Hyugas and Uchihas, which demanded respect from all outsiders. Sakura personally thought the separation did them no good, only shielding the clans' children from having a normal life. She recalled how socially inexperienced Hinata Hyuga was, and even her cousin Neji had his problems to sort out. Sasuke, well, who knew how he would have turned out if he had led a normal life? There were no other Uchihas around to compare him to.

Sakura had walked to the complex with a sense of urgency at first; however, when she had neared her destination, she had slowed and finally came to a stop outside the border. Something inside her warned her to use caution here.

Her mind knew he was a killer, a deserter of his own village. He was a dangerous criminal who had 5 years to grow stronger and colder than he ever was as a child. But her heart knew that she had to see him. How could she not? All those unanswered questions that she had suppressed over the years were now spilling over her thoughts, clouding her mind with their weight.

Did she even have a choice?

Finally, with a sigh of resignation, Sakura stepped forward and slipped though the opening.

She had never been inside the Uchiha complex before, but it was very similar to the other clans' that she had visited in the past. There was the same main street, stores on either side, with streets tapering in all directions that led to each family's housing, mansions, probably.

The structure may have been the same, but the deserted compound was unnaturally eerie. It was silent – deafeningly silent. There were no voices, no dogs barking, no cart wheels turning, nothing. The dark shops with broken windows still displayed proud signs for goods and clothing, all faded from exposure. An overturned cart had littered its rotting vegetables across the street. Sakura had to cover her nose as she passed.

There was no blood; Sakura was relieved to see that any proof of the slaughter had been wiped away long ago. But still, as she walked by one building with its window open, the curtain flapping out in the wind, she got chills. It was as if everyone just disappeared.

She crossed her arms and kept walking, gazing at the loneliness all around her. All this time, there was such a desolate place in Konoha and she didn't even know it existed. How did Sasuke live here all those years, and not die of misery? He could not possibly have forgotten his past when he lived here, alone on his acres of inherited land that he most likely didn't even want. It was as if he wanted the anger to stew inside of him, every day looking at the same places where everyone he loved had died.

"Oh, Sasuke," she murmured, and quickened her pace. The main street tapered off as she walked on, but this one road was still wider than the others. She knew it would have to lead her to Sasuke's home, since he was apparently born of the most prominent family in the clan.

_Thwak_. Sakura leapt back, narrowly missing a shuriken that hit the ground where she stood a moment ago. She landed in a fighting stance and pulled out a kunai. Her eyes darted around for her attacker, but she found no one there.

"Sasuke?" she called, still warily holding up her weapon as she glanced around her. Silence.

The whizzing of another shuriken came from behind her, and she arched her body away, just in time. She turned to where the weapon came from, but another weapon came at her from the opposite direction, catching her off guard. The kunai nicked her shirt and struck the ground before her.

"Sasuke, stop it!" she yelled, trying to mask her fear with frustration. Why couldn't she detect his chakra? Where was he throwing from?

A flash of movement in her peripheral caught her eye. But by the time she turned her head, it was gone. Just another empty store. Could he be that fast? Not even Kakashi moved like that.

Did she hear clothes rustling? Maybe she imagined it. Another flash of movement, and another toss of a shuriken. This one just barely missed her shoulder. But even if she hadn't moved, the hit would not have been lethal. That was it; he was just playing around with her.

"Sasuke!" she shouted, her anger now overpowering her fear. Didn't he know never to make a woman angry?

A flash of metal to her right. _This is it, Sakura,_ she told herself. _Prove your worth now!_

She leapt away from the kunai and in one swift movement, caught it midair and swung it back in the direction it came from. Her target was gone, of course, but she was responded with an open laugh from another direction. Where was he hiding? She landed and looked around cautiously.

"You've improved, Sakura." A male voice whispered in her ear. She didn't flinch as the kunai pressed against her throat. Sasuke was standing right behind her, his chest pressing against her back, his hot breath on her shoulder.

Sakura's knees went weak beneath her. Standing in silence, she felt lightheaded as if she was caught in a gen-jitsu, but no – this was real. She didn't even realize she forgot to breathe until the pain in her lungs became unbearable.

"Sasuke," she exhaled. Her eyes remained locked on the ground. She didn't dare try to move.

"Why are you here?" His voice had deepened with age, but she hardly noticed. She was preoccupied with keeping her body from shaking upon such close contact. Was it from desire, though, or fear? She couldn't tell which.

"I – I just want to talk to you."

"Hn." He pulled the kunai from her throat and took several steps back.

She turned, head first, then body, towards the boy she once loved. Those beautiful dark eyes stared blankly down at her while he stood arrogantly in silence. He was dressed in all black, in a loose shirt and shorts, a sheathed katana on his back and his hands on his hips. But what threw Sakura off the most was the Konoha shinobi hitai-ate tied around his head. It was new, not the old scratched one that Naruto still kept on his desk. But to see Sasuke wearing what was a symbol of loyalty, of pride in one's village, it almost made her nauseous.

"Sasuke . . . Why?" She wanted to throw all her hope, her despair, her tears, her years of anguish into that one word.

"Go home, Sakura." He glared at her with those intense, emotionless eyes until she felt herself weaken and had to look away.

Was this all he would give her? All the painful memories flooded back to her with his harp response. Her stomach turned at the thought of reliving all those miserable years, while she had grieved over his desertion. It was just like before – he ignored her, neglected her, and still she clung to him like her life depended on it. No, she couldn't put herself through that again. She fought the tears that threatened to fall, and took a bold step towards him.

"I won't go home, Sasuke, I can't. Not without some answers."

He smirked and cocked his head. "And what can you possibly want to know? You're not involved in this at all. You never were."

"How can you say that?! I – I loved you, Sasuke, I tried to bring you home! We all did. Everyone risked their lives to get you back! Why did you leave? Why are you suddenly here? Why - why was I never enough for you?!"

Her cries echoed through the empty streets before silence took hold once more. The tears fell freely now, and she didn't have the power to stop them.

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything, Sakura."

"But -"

"Someone like you wouldn't understand my reasons even if I did tell you."

His words stung like a slap. She lowered her head, having never felt so inadequate since the time he left. She was so helpless and inexperienced compared to him. He had lived in another country, killed many times, and lived completely on his own for years. And here she was, begging for understanding, having known nothing but the comfort of Konoha and the limitations it brought. She was a fool to think he would give her the satisfaction of an answer.

"What do I do, Sasuke?" she said feebly, "Are we going to go around pretending nothing ever happened? Because I can't do that, and you know it."

He paused. "There is something you can do for me."

She looked up at him. He was so cold, so unfeeling . . . What was he telling her?

"What do you want, Sasuke?"

He closed the distance between them as he talked. "You're a medic now, right?"

"Yeah, I am. But what –"

"And you're healing a hostage?"

She nodded.

"And is that hostage Pein, once the leader of Akatsuki?"

"You do know him then!"

He had stopped right in front of her, and Sakura felt like she was dreaming. He was so very close, his face right there, his scent all around them. He had never allowed her to be so near him before. When he lowered his head next to hers, she forced herself to remain still. She didn't hug him, or faint, or touch him at all. She stood there in disbelief, with his hot breath on her neck. His lips grazed her ear.

His voice was no more than a whisper although they were alone.

"I want you to kill Pein."

Sakura's blood ran cold. The silence that followed was chilling as she processed what he was saying. She forced a laugh and pushed Sasuke away.

"You're kidding, Sasuke."

He looked gravely back at her, his expression proving her entirely wrong. Sasuke never made a joke in his life. Most of the time, he never said anything unless it got him what he wanted.

Sakura swallowed hard. "You . . . you're serious then?"

He nodded, his dark eyes penetrating through her.

"Sasuke, I can't kill him!"

"Make it look like an accident. No one will suspect you."

"Are you crazy? It's not about getting caught. I'm not going to kill someone, least of all a patient!"

"He's evil, Sakura, you know that. That man doesn't deserve to live."

"Who are you to decide that?" She said bitterly, "Hypocrite! You've killed too."

His eyes narrowed. "I only did what had to be done."

"So this is how it's gonna be?" Her voice rose to a shout. "You think you can pretend you had no choice when you left us? That you were forced to betray your village, and kill your brother and -"

"I only did what had to be done," he repeated. As if that was explanation enough.

Sakura ran her hand through her hair. He wanted her to kill Pein. As if she could! Nothing he could say would make her want to hurt him, and she didn't care if that was right or wrong. It was simply a fact.

She placed her hands on her hips in mock confidence. "What makes you think I'd do it?"

"You said once that you would do anything for me, Sakura. I'm holding you to that now."

"That was five years ago. I'm not the infatuated child I was back then. I have a mind of my own, Sasuke, and I'm using it now. I won't kill for you. I'm leaving."

She turned to walk away, but he appeared right in front of her again. She gritted her teeth and stared defiantly up at him, but her stomach was twisting in knots. He wouldn't try to hurt her. Would he?

She didn't break their gaze until she felt his hand slide up her bare arm and rest on her shoulder. His touch was warm but strangely detached, and she found herself trying hard not to shutter from the contact.

"Sakura," he lowered his face to hers. She felt herself melt when his lips slowly grazed hers. "You don't know how much this means to me. If you do this one thing for me, I'll give you anything. _Anything_."

She heard rather than felt her breath quicken. Her mouth was dry when she tried to speak.

"Anything, Sakura." He said, "Kill him and I can give you the entire wealth of my inheritance."

"Sasuke . . ." She stifled a moan when he took her other arm and pulled her toward him.

"I can promise you all the power of my clan," he whispered, "I'll give to you its power, its strengths and techniques."

She shook her head, but it was so hard to concentrate when he held her like he'd never done before. His scent and his voice intoxicated her, making her weak with desire.

"Or," he continued in that alluring voice, "Maybe what you want isn't all that much. Maybe you want the same thing you wanted when we were kids."

She waited for him to finish, hating herself for it, but not wanting this moment to end. He leaned to press his mouth against her neck, and this time, Sakura did let out a little moan.

"I can give you myself, Sakura." He kissed her neck, pulling her tightly to his chest. Her mind just didn't want to focus right now; Sasuke was apparently offering himself to her . . . and she liked it. And all she had to do was –

"Stop!" she pushed him away, and immediately felt the urge to jump back into his arms. It had felt too good to be true, and it was. To think that he would make an offer like that was revolting, and she finally realized that after all this time, Sasuke would never change. He wanted what he wanted and nothing else mattered, especially her. Seeing him in this new light sealed her rejection of him for good.

"I'm not going to kill someone to get you, Sasuke," she said bitterly, feeling stronger by the minute. "And I won't even hurt Pein for you. I thought you couldn't sink any lower, dishonor your name any more than you already have, but then you went and did something like this. You make me sick. I don't care what you do anymore, as long as you stay away from Pein and from me. Goodbye."

A dangerous look flashed across the boy's face, covering an expression Sakura couldn't recognize because she didn't think she'd ever seen it before. A rough grip on her arm pulled her to him. She frowned and her hand near her weapons pouch twitched.

"Why are you protecting him?" Sasuke hissed, "He's killed innocent people, Sakura! Destroying him would be an act of charity. No one in this village wants him alive."

Her hurt expression gave him his answer. His eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. "You've grown attached to him, haven't you?"

Sakura set her jaw. "Let go of me, Sasuke. You don't own me anymore." She tore herself free and, with one last look at that handsome but cruel face, she turned her back on him and walked away, unafraid of him at last.

He let her leave then, and she could feel his eyes on her as she headed back towards the front gate. The deserted compound didn't seem half as threatening now, even though the sky was darkening and her back was turned to an abandoned love.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I love you all!

_If you're keeping up with the manga - Pein + Panda Summon Adorable!!_

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"Kisame, get down here."

The black cloaked man silently hopped down from his perch on a tree branch to land near his comrades on the ground. They had all taken their hats off, but were still swamped in their usual black robes as they sat in a circle underneath the trees. The sun had already set, the dusk light casting their faces in a shade of gray that would rival Kisame's.

"What is it?" he said gruffly. He didn't like being woken up.

The one that spoke stood up and shook her sapphire hair. "I've detected a new chakra signature entering the village. I'm not sure, but I believe it was Uchiha's little brother."

Kisame frowned. "What is he doing in Konoha?"

"We don't know," said Zetsu, "We want Konan to send an eye into the village to check it out."

His voice deepened. "She'll scout out Pein's situation and report on their security around him."

"Without his permission, huh?"

Konan nodded. "We can't sit around here much longer, you know. Eventually, we'll be found out if we stay. Besides, Leader's commands lately have been very . . . uncharacteristic of him. I want to find out what reason he has for holding off an attack."

Kisame scratched the back of his head and looked around at the small group. Apparently, the three had discussed the subject at length while he was napping. He didn't like the idea of going behind Leader's orders, but they had been backed into a corner in the enemy's territory for too long. Something had to be done.

"Fine, go ahead," he said gruffly, "But if Leader gets pissed at you three, I want no part in this."

Konan nodded. "He won't be angry at a little scouting."

She made a seal and the white origami flower in her hair floated up and folded itself into two wings, no larger than a normal butterfly.

Kisame watched the paper flap away in the direction of the village walls, hidden by a mile of trees and brush. He didn't like it, but he and the others were getting restless while sitting here. He would not wait around much longer unless action some action was taken. What was Leader waiting for, anyway?

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_If only I could talk to him now . . . I want him to make me forget what that boy did to me . . . _

Sakura watched the evening sky spotted with clouds and stars as she followed the wooded path away from Sasuke's dead little part of town. She couldn't understand how she felt at the moment. Shouldn't she be miserable, knowing that she finally had to give up on Sasuke? Even if she was proud of herself for cutting their bonds, that would have made more sense. But, why this emptiness?

It was liberating, at least, to know that she could start a new chapter in her life, one that didn't include the selfish boy that she had lived for up until now. However, when she finally stepped back onto the emptying streets of the village, everything looked the same to her. The same faceless people were going about their lives, shopping at the same stores, going to the same places.

Maybe, this wasn't a turning point for her after all. Maybe all this time, she knew he was never the person she had believed he was. Her life could go on as usual.

Her eyes caught the white stone of the Hokage's Tower, darkening in the twilight, and for once, she immediately looked past it to where she knew the prison was. A sudden urge to see Pein washed over her, enticing her although she knew it couldn't happen.

She stood rooted to the ground for a minute, wishing more than anything that things could be different between them. It wasn't until a little white butterfly crossed her view that she was reminded that life went on beyond her selfish heart; she watched it bob up and out of sight before resigning to go home with a sigh.

She forced her feet carry her farther away from the prison, and the one person she wanted to confide in. Hell, she wasn't even sure he would care about what she said. But he would listen, really listen, which was more than she could ask for from anyone else in the village.

Was it because of him, that she wasn't more upset about Sasuke? That fool had offered her anything she wanted, and she hadn't thought twice about refusing him. His words, too, '_You've grown attached to him, haven't you?'_ . . . Sasuke knew nothing about love and emotions. He had always been a cold-hearted loner, with no respect for his own life, let alone anyone else's. He was a killer . . . but Pein was also a killer.

What made them so different? Why was one so kind, and the other so cruel?

She remembered how, at first, a glance from Pein would make her cower in fear, but now she dreamt of those eyes. It seemed the more he tried to push her away, the more she wanted to get to know him. He was sincere and considerate and civil to her. He hardly seemed like the criminal he was. Besides that, he even had a sense of humor.

"Oh Pein, what are you doing to me?" Her voice was nothing above a whisper.

x

Sakura's apartment wasn't more than a twenty-minute walk from the tower, but it was dark by the time she unlocked her door. She undressed and headed straight from the shower, hoping to wash away all the uncertainty that seemed to fog her mind from the moment she woke.

Turning the nozzle up to hot, she stepped inside and couldn't help but daydream as the cascade of warm water soothed her body. Steam quickly began to cloud up the shower door, warning her that the room was too humid. Soon she was sweating as she leaned against the tiled shower wall and focused on breathing deeply. That familiar prickling of too much heat on her skin wasn't enough to scour away her worries.

"Pein," she murmured to herself, lost in her thoughts. She wanted him to be right there with her, holding her in his arms, whispering in her ear . . . not sitting in that damn metal chair all alone and suffering.

The latches would be tight around his wrists and ankles and neck; he would still be hurting from his freshly healed hands. She could almost feel those red burns on his skin, almost smell that horrible stale odor of the interrogation room, almost hear his deep breath as he inhaled slowly . . .

"Hello, Sakura." His familiar voice pierced her thoughts.

Her eyes shot open. _What?_ Did she just hear that?

She panicked and poked her head out of the shower.

The bathroom was empty. And with the door open, she could see that the apartment was empty as well. There was nobody there, but she had definitely heard Pein, right there with her, or, in her head.

"Ow!" She cursed at the sudden awareness that the water was scorching her body. She quickly turned the nozzle and hopped out of the water's reach until colder water rushed out to soothe her reddened skin.

Biting her lip, she wondered whether she was just imagining things. She was tired, after all, and she might have zoned out for a minute there. Yeah, that was it. She poured shampoo into her hand and again tried, unsuccessfully, to relax.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning was surprisingly cold for Konoha. Not freezing, but just chilly enough to be noticed when morning clothes were picked out, and one stepped out into the crisp morning air.

The afternoon sunlight cast no warmth down on Sakura as she clasped her jacket at the neck and made her way to the center of the village. She stifled a yawn and regretted the sudden intake of cold air. This chill was strange weather for the time of year, and she couldn't help but notice that the usually clear sky was overcast with gray clouds.

Her heart leapt at the sight of the prison. She smiled at the knowledge that Pein was inside.

"Hey Sakura!" a female voice called from across the street. Sakura stopped to see a bundled up Ino running up to her, dragging her lazy Nara in tow.

"What happened to you the other night, Forehead? You completely disappeared!"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm just not into bars much, Pig, you know that. Hey Shikamaru."

The boy nodded at her and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Goin' to the prison?"

She nodded. "And Ino, don't ask me about it, cuz you know I'm not telling you anything."

The blonde's mouth had opened at the word prison. She shut it and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey Forehead, you do know about Sasuke, right? That he's back?"

Sakura frowned and felt a chill that might not have been from the cool wind. "Of course."

"And you're okay with that?" Ino said incredulously.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Personally," Shikamaru cut in, "I'm surprised how well you're taking it now that he's is back in town."

"I guess I've changed; he has too."

"So you've seen him?"

"Well, yeah. I'm sure you'll see him soon, too. And I can tell you, Ino, that once you see him, you won't be too happy either."

Ino looked puzzled. "What, did he get ugly or something?"

Shikamaru made a disgruntled noise that went unnoticed by his girlfriend. It was a typical Ino question. But Sakura bit her lip, remembering Sasuke's face.

"No, he's definitely not ugly on the outside. Just wait 'til you meet him again, you'll see what I mean." She forced a smile. "Or, Shikamaru can tell you."

"Sakura, I think you've lost it," Ino laughed.

"I never had it to begin with. Anyway, I've gotta go, my patient's waiting."

She turned to leave, and Ino called after her.

"Better bring an umbrella next time you go outside, Sakura. Shika says a storm's coming."

Sakura waved a thanks and rushed the rest of the way to the prison. She couldn't wait to see him again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gai was on guard again outside the prison room door, incidentally doing push-ups to pass the time. He greeted Sakura loudly.

"Good afternoon Sakura! Go on inside, and I'll train right here until you're done!"

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Um. Okay, Gai, but this usually takes a few hours."

"That's all? Take your time then! Enjoy the springtime of your youth!"

She nodded and tried to hold in a laugh so hard that she ended up snorting slightly. How did the guy end up like that?

"Sure. Thanks, Gai," she said, to keep herself from laughing.

Closing the door behind her, Sakura swallowed her smile and flicked on the light switch. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, all thoughts of talking about Sasuke disappeared and her heart sank. Pein was either unconscious or sleeping, slouched down in the chair, once again held up only by metal latches. His breathing came out in low, trembling wheezes. She rushed over to him.

The damage to his body proved that the beating today had been much worse than usual. Both upper arms had been cut open vertically and down to the splintered bones, displaying bright masses of shredded tissue and muscle. His lower arms were covered in electric burns, from elbow to wrist, and were also cut through deeply.

The blue-green bruises and sharp dent in his chest told her that more than one rib had been broken. Beads of sweat had mixed with the blood to cover his torso in crimson, dripping down to a dark puddle on the floor.

Tears filled her eyes as she reached out to touch his bloodied cheek. She had to wake him up, to make sure he didn't die.

"Pein?" She tried hard not to look at his gashed arms. "Pein, wake up. I'm here."

No answer. She forced herself to think like a medic again, but it was always harder to concentrate when someone she cared about was the one to heal. That was always her problem on missions, and now it appeared again as she clumsily made a seal and only a weak glow of chakra poured out.

_Focus_. She closed her eyes and pretended it was a stranger on the table. She was a medic second only to Tsunade, right? _Think like Tsunade.__You can do this._

There it was. She knew what to do again.

First heal his ribs, then check his lungs for fluid, stop any internal bleeding, mend the splintered bones, connect the tissues, close up the open wounds, and soothe the burns.

Her chakra poured out grandly now, and she placed her hands over his chest to begin her work.

It was over an hour later when Pein began to stir. His breathing had slowly become more regular, especially after she had used her chakra to pull the fluid from his lungs. His eyes slid open and he looked blankly at her. He seemed to have trouble focusing.

"Hey, princess. Is that you?" He ended the question with a cough and a spurt of blood.

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Thank god, you're awake. I'm doing my best, Pein, but you've lost a lot of blood already."

She turned back to the arm she was mending, forcing all she had into healing him quickly. She ignored the burning in her own arms and body, making record speed with his wounds. She didn't even stop to gather her tools; she could probably make the same progress without them, anyway. But once in a while, she would have to stop to wipe her eyes so that she could see clearly.

"I- I'm sorry if it still hurts, I'm trying my best."

She didn't see his eyes soften as he looked at her.

"Sakura," he murmured, "Please, don't cry."

She stifled a sob even as she focused on lacing his muscles back together over the bone. Her body was screaming for her to stop, to take a break so that she could regain her energy, but the cry went ignored as she pushed herself past her own limits.

Next arm, repeat the process.

"Princess," more coughing, "Take a break."

"No, I can't. I'm almost done."

"Sit down!" He ordered. He managed to sound authoritative even in his position. It was a voice Sakura had never heard before. But that didn't mean she had to listen.

"No! You've lost too much blood. I'm not letting you die just because I took a break." She tried to match his tone, but ended up panting out the last words. Yes, she needed a break, but that wasn't important now. Only he was.

"I'll be okay. I've lived through worse."

"Stop being so damn confident!" She retorted. "Why won't you just accept my help?"

"You're helping more than you should. Look at you, you're shaking from exhaustion. And why could you possibly want me to stay alive? Want to impress the Hokage? Maybe impress Sasuke?"

"How did you know about that?"

"They've been asking me questions about him. It wasn't hard to figure out that he came back home."

She looked away. "I'm not trying to impress him, Pein. In fact, Sasuke asked me to kill you for him. Said he'd give me whatever I wanted, if I did."

The room was deathly silent for a full minute.

"Then, why didn't you do it?"

"I . . . I don't know. I just couldn't. You should know by now, Pein . . ."

"I should know what?"

She swallowed hard. ". . . That I can't kill a patient under my care. Even for him."

"Ah."

Why couldn't she tell him how she felt? She watched from blurred eyes as a teardrop slid down her cheek and near the closing wound. She was almost done, having managed to keep working while her mind was slowing down. Tissue covered muscle, veins connected and pumping freely, nerves rebuilt and skin sewn together. His healed arm was the last thing she saw before her vision started to go. She was entirely drained of chakra, and her body was finally rebelling.

"Sakura . . ." His voice seemed to come from far off. But it was so peaceful, it felt like falling asleep.

x

"Sakura!" A different voice called from the darkness, muffled like someone speaking with a cloth over their mouth.

She thought she knew who it was, but couldn't put a name to him. Her head was pounding furiously and her mind was spinning. She thought she heard a moan, was it hers? And then she was being picked up, carried, rushed outside and inside again.

"Tsunade! I just found her passed. . ." more voices, and her mind slipped away again.

x

She woke again in a hospital bed, still in her own clothes. The sky was dark outside her window. _How long have I been asleep?_

She sat up and had to fight a wave of nausea and a thumping headache. Rubbing her temples, she suddenly noticed hushed voices in the hallway, just barely audible over the hum of the hospital lights. Getting up quietly, she crept to the door and listened in.

". . . now that we know it's all futile," a voice was saying. It sounded like Jiraiya. "We got more from Sasuke than from him, anyway."

Tsunade's voice was low but frustrated. "I would have thought for sure . . . but it's a moot point now. You do what you have to do."

"I really didn't think he'd last through today's bit, even though was the strongest student I'd ever had. It's too bad he had to realize his powers this way."

"Well, you asked for my permission, and here it is. The sooner he's dead, the sooner I'll sleep soundly. I leave this mess in your and Ibiki's hands."

"Then you'll sleep soundly tomorrow night, no later. That is, unless he feels like giving up some information for a change . . ."

The two began to walk away from the door. Hearing nothing further, Sakura plopped back down on the bed. She forced her panicking mind to settle, trying to figure out what had happened.

She remembered healing Pein, talking to him . . . then nothing. She must have passed out from exhaustion. But that wasn't important – what was important now was that she had just heard Jiraiya clearly imply that he would kill Pein the next day.

x


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sakura stared at the hospital wall in silence for a good five minutes before the clicking of Tsunade's heels echoed down the hallway, announcing her arrival. But seeing Tsunade's face, and hearing her lecture about proper behavior as a medic, was that last thing she wanted to do. Without thinking, she leapt up from the bed and yanked open the window, greeted with a blast of cool air. She hopped onto the ledge and quickly pumped chakra to her feet, running fearlessly down the hospital wall.

She had never run from Tsunade before. She didn't even really know why she was doing it now. But she did know that her old mentor would never give her the answers she wanted. Sakura would have to find out for herself, even if it meant going behind the Hokage's back.

Landing with a thud down on the empty dirt road, Sakura ran around the hospital corner, out of sight if Tsunade looked out the window for her. Adrenaline rushed through her body from the thrill of sneaking out like this. She leaned against the cold wall to catch her breath and risked a peek around the corner, but no one seemed to be looking for her.

She glanced up at the Hokage's Tower, surrounded by an ominous gray sky, and gathered her thoughts. In that tower, inside Tsunade's office, would be the papers that had spilled out of Sasuke's bag when he was let back into the village. They must have been important, and if only she could get to them, she might understand Sasuke's return. She might even discover his connection with Pein. On the other hand . . .

"Pein," she whispered, looking down the road towards the prison. She had to tell him of his fate as soon as possible. She would have to get into that room and beg him to give up just enough information for Ibiki to let him live a bit longer. Even if it meant lying to the interrogator, he would have to say something to remain useful to Ibiki.

For a moment, she stood rooted to the ground, not sure which path to take. Should she try to break into Tsunade's office while she knew the woman was in the hospital, or go directly to Pein to warn him of his impending death?

Pein had only one more session before he would be killed. But she might not get a better chance to gain access to those papers. Whichever choice she made, she couldn't help but feel like she was betraying Tsunade for even considering this. There were so many doubts and worries flooding her mind, she felt like she was bound hand and foot.

The wind abruptly picked up and she tore off towards the prison.

x

"Kakashi," Sakura called out to the man standing slouched outside the interrogation room door. He glanced up and smiled as she slowed to a stop.

"You seem to be in a hurry," he said, snapping shut his ever-present porno. "What happened to you earlier? I found you passed out when I took my shift. Good thing I thought to check in on you."

"Eh," she scratched her head. "I was just healing Pein and I guess I pushed myself too hard. He was in really bad shape, though. I don't think I've ever healed anyone in that state before – I really thought I could heal him completely. Oh, but thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it."

Kakashi was silent for a moment. He looked at her with a narrowed eye and tucked his book into his pocket. "Yeah, no problem, Sakura. That was brave of you to go so far to do your job. But I do have one question. Didn't you see the clipboard on the table, the one that said not to heal him today?"

Sakura swore her jaw hit the floor.

"Uh . . . The – the clipboard?"

"Yup."

"I must have been distracted, I didn't see it."

"It was right on the desk, where it's always been."

"I didn't look for it, I just saw him in that condition and –"

"And you dropped all protocol to follow your feelings?"

"Ye – No! I just –"

"Sakura, I'm disappointed. All those years I've trained you to follow the rules of a shinobi apparently didn't sink in. This isn't right."

His eye gave away what he didn't have to say. He knew how she felt about Pein. But his quiet disapproval was worse than any insult he could throw at her. Kakashi was like that; he never had to raise his voice to earn respect. When he trained Naruto, Sasuke and her as Team 7, he never had to yell at them during their training. Simply letting down their sensei had been worse punishment for them than anything else.

Even years later, he still had the power to make Sakura feel sick with guilt.

"Kakashi . . ." She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. She knew she was wrong for loving Pein. She knew he would probably be killed soon. But right now, she knew she had a chance to save him.

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look at him.

". . . I'm here to give Pein his dose. I never got the chance to before."

"It's taken care of. Ibiki popped in here and administered the shot."

She felt her lip start to quiver. That dose was her only excuse to get inside to see him, to save him. Her throat tightened as she fought back hot tears.

"Please, Kakashi . . . this might be the last time . . . and I want to see him once more. I just need to say goodbye, please understand." Her fists clenched as she realized that it might be the truth. She really might have to say goodbye.

His expression softened and he sighed at her. "I'll give you ten minutes, Sakura, that's all. Say what you want and leave."

She nodded and gripped the doorknob. Pausing, she said quietly, "Thank you, Kakashi," and stepped in.

One look into Pein's eyes and she ran to him, throwing her arms over his shoulders in a sloppy hug. His body was warm, and his face fit so perfectly next to hers. Her hand ran through his soft orange hair and she breathed in his comforting smell.

Pein sat still while she held him, silently allowing her tears to dampen their cheeks. She had no idea what he was thinking, but he didn't flinch, nor did he tell her to stop.

_I don't ever want to let go. _

Her fingers roamed over his jaw line and grazed his ear, feeling each cold metal stud. She sniffled and pulled away just enough to look at his face and raised her hand to touch his cheek.

He looked into her eyes with an unfamiliar, almost gentle expression on his face. Maybe he was glad to see her. She lowered her fingers to skim his soft lips, which parted upon contact.

"Princess . . ." His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Sakura used her other hand to wipe her eyes dry. How do you tell someone they're going to be killed?

"I'm happy you're okay. You really gave me a scare when you passed out earlier."

She forced a half-smile. "How long was I out for?"

"Just twenty minutes," he smirked, "I would have helped but, you know, paralyzed, in a sound-proof room, I couldn't do much. But hey, you're very cute when you're unconscious."

"Pein, I don't have time for this. There's something I have to tell you."

"Oh, you didn't just stop in to say hello?" He faked a sad face.

"Listen," she said solemnly, "You have to tell Ibiki something. I overheard that you aren't giving away any information."

"That's right."

"Why not?"

"Eh, I have no reason to."

"But Pein! They'll keep you alive if you do it!"

He stared at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sakura, I won't disclose anything to my enemies."

She leapt up. "But you have to, you're worth nothing to them if you're not!"

"I won't give your village any information on my group."

"Then lie! Tell them something, anything to let you live!"

The room was silent as she comprehended what she had just said.

"You're telling me," he said slowly, "to lie to your own village, give them false information, just to keep me alive?"

"Yes." She knelt down and touched his hand. Sighing in resignation, she put her forehead on his forearm. She had to tell him how she felt. Not looking at him would make this easier.

"Pein . . . I don't understand this."

"Understand what?"

"I – I don't understand how you've become the most important thing in my life. You've changed me completely, and I don't want to lose you. I'd do anything for you. Please, _please_ Pein, say what you have to, to stay here with me."

Sakura waited for a response for what seemed like an eternity. She admitted to herself that she was afraid to meet his gaze for fear of rejection. Old memories flashed before her eyes, of a younger version of herself professing her love to Sasuke, and him always maliciously refusing her. Was she fated to go through the same pain, despite her growth? This was the first time she opened her heart to anyone after Sasuke . . . It was hard enough to go on without that boy, but without Pein . . . it hurt too much to think of him refusing her and then allowing himself to be killed. Even if he rejected her in the worst way, she still would never want him to die.

He finally spoke, his voice not betraying any emotion.

"You said I'm important to you?"

She nodded, her forehead still pressed to him arm. _If you're going to reject me, do it quickly._

"Look at me." She obeyed, and had to fight back a new surge of tears. His face was sincere as he spoke.

"Sakura, please don't say those things to me. If this were a different world, if we were different people, I might have let myself care for you, return your love. But where we are, and who we are . . . I can't let that happen. It makes no sense. You're a medic, I'm a murderer . . . the irony doesn't escape me here. But understand, you have to let me go."

She put her hand to her mouth, to hold back a sob, or perhaps a scream. The tears rolled freely down her cheeks now. It really wasn't fair. Pein obviously had no intention of saving his own life. He didn't want her, he didn't even –

"Pein? You just said if things were different, you would love me?"

He smiled sadly. "Please stop crying, princess. Don't make things more complicated than they have to be."

She looked away. "It's too late for that."

Before he could respond, a sharp knock sounded from the door. It was Kakashi, reminding her of the ten minute mark. She didn't have much more time.

She turned anxiously back to him. "Tomorrow is your last chance. Please, Pein, stop being so stubborn. You'll be dead within a day if you don't open your damn mouth and tell them something!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura." He really did look it. But could he see it in her eyes, that her heart was breaking?

She reached out to touch his cheek and swiftly lowered her face to his. Her lips met his and she kissed him, the way she had wanted to from the very start. His breath was sweet and when her mouth parted just a bit, their tongues collided fervently. She threw all her anger, her passion, her torment into the kiss. Her hand ran down to his bare chest, and she could feel his heart beating quickly beneath her.

She pictured him out of that chair while they kissed, standing before her with his arms wrapped around her waist. _If this were a different world_, he had said, _I might have let myself care for you, return your love._

She pulled away, ending a kiss that she didn't want to end. She wasn't ashamed of herself, and that fact that he had kissed her back gave her the courage to ask.

"Do you love me, Pein?"

His bright but sad eyes looked deep into hers. "Yes, Sakura, I love you. Goodbye."

The door opened as if on queue, and Kakashi stepped in.

Sakura saw in a blissful daze as he took her arm and pulled her gently out of the room. Her breath quickened as the image of Pein disappeared behind the closing door. And suddenly she was out in the hallway, and Kakashi was speaking to her.

". . . Now I want you to get out of here, Sakura, and don't give that man in there a second thought. Do you understand?"

She nodded, her mind miles away. He loved her. Pein actually said he loved her. And now she would never see him again. She looked up at Kakashi.

"I have to go back." She reached for the doorknob but Kakashi caught her arm.

"No. I'm sorry, Sakura," he said sternly, "you can't see him again. Please go home."

"But Kakashi, please –"

"I said go home, Sakura. Your job is done here."

She glared at him for a minute, resisting his firm hold on her arm. She knew it would be futile to try and get past him; he was far too strong for that. He had bent the rules once for her, and he wouldn't do it again.

She ripped her arm away and took a step back, hating him for taking her from her Pein. Without a word, she turned and left, walking out of the prison with a wave of hurt flooding over her.

There really was nothing left for her to do. Feeling particularly reckless, she headed to the Hokage's Tower, with every intention of breaking into Tsunade's office to see those secret papers. Because in them she might find Pein's connection to Sasuke, and maybe even a chance to save him.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Whew. I just pounded this chapter out in a few hours and I'm exhausted. I feel like I need to explain the delay for this chapter, and I have only one excuse - exams. Ugh. Almost done, I think. And, if I fail my test tomorrow, it was well worth it! I send my love to you all. Enjoy!

**Chapter 12**

The wide streets of Konoha never seemed so empty and silent as they did now for Sakura. She was alone, in more ways then one. Yes, she was the only person in sight under the low glow of the streetlamps, under the dark clouded sky. But also, no one knew was she was about to do, nor what lengths she would go to, to save the man she had fallen so rapidly for.

She stood before the Hokage's Tower with fear in her heart. Was she really about to do this? To be an overly caring medic was one thing – no one but Kakashi was suspicious of her devotion to Pein – but to break into Tsunade's office was completely different. It would prove disloyalty to the village almost to the point of betrayal.

She decided not to linger on hesitation any longer. This was a risk she had to take for Pein's sake. When Sasuke had left Sakura in the village those years ago, all she had done was beg him to stop, but it hadn't been enough. Now she had the power to go beyond her own tears and take the next step in saving the man she loved.

It was all about Pein now, and any chance in hell she had to save him, she would take.

Tsunade's office was on the fourth floor of the tower; but that meant nothing to a ninja. Sakura pushed chakra to her feet and took that first awkward step from horizontal ground to vertical wall. She carefully walked up four stories to the row of windows that marked the Hokage's office, making sure no one was around to see her.

She peeked in slowly, knowing that the dark sky would cover her well. Seeing no one inside, she made a short seal that caused the window to unlock. She pulled it open and crawled in.

The office was large but cluttered, and Sakura immediately felt her heart sink at the amount of paperwork lying around. How would she sift through all of it before Tsunade came back?

But the papers she was looking for were surely very important. And very secret. They wouldn't be very far under a pile, because Tsunade had only gotten them two days ago. She probably still had them near her desk . . .

It seemed too simple to be true. Sakura moved behind the desk and made the seals that Tsunade had taught her and Shizune in case of emergencies, to have access to her things. It was something done out of trust, and Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty for it.

She finished the signs and pulled open the drawer that held Tsunade's "secret stash" of sake. Neatly nestled in between the bottles was a large stack of papers. She took them out and moved near the window to read the first page.

It was a sloppily written mission report, like the kind any shinobi had to fill out after returning to the village. But it was short and wasn't filled out on the usual form, just written on old paper. She skimmed through the report.

_Date:_(A/N: Um … I have no idea how to answer this.)

_Target: Rakuseki Touhi_

_Village: Formerly Rock_

_Class: missing-nin, S class_

_Incriminating Activities: Ring leader of crime syndicate around Grass and Fire border; known killer of eight; suspected killer of five_

_Target Status: Authorization to execute by Grass, Rock, Fire, and Waterfall_

_Assigned Shinobi: Uchiha, Sasuke_

_Village of Assigned Shinobi:_

_Mission Status: Complete_

Sasuke took on a mission? But this was dated from two years ago! Sakura flipped to the next page.

_Target: Jikyuu Hinara_

_Village: Formerly Waterfall_

_Class: missing-nin, S class_

_Incriminating Activities: Espionage in Waterfall, Attempted assassination of village leader Shibuki. Known killer of four._

_Target Status: Authorization to execute by Waterfall, Fire, Grass_

_Assigned Shinobi: Uchiha, Sasuke_

_Village of Assigned Shinobi:_

_Mission Status: Complete_

Another mission, dated from only a year ago. Sakura leafed through the remainder of the ream of papers. Each one was a mission report, each one completed by Sasuke during his absence from Konoha. They all included authorization to kill S class criminals that were wanted by the Fire Country. Worst of all, every single mission was completed.

What did it mean? Why was Sasuke taking on missions while he was still banished? She sat on the desk and stared at the first page.

Suddenly it hit her. Sasuke had spent the last two years trying to buy his way back into Konoha, by killing off wanted criminals. There must have been hundreds of pages, hundreds of criminals, and Sasuke had killed every one of them.

He must have been desperate to get back into Konoha, maybe to find some sort of direction in his life after killing his brother. But still, something didn't feel right. Was it pure coincidence that he appeared back in Konoha days after Pein did?

She sat for a minute in the dark, wondering how much more there was to the story. Even knowing this information, she couldn't piece together Pein and Sasuke's relationship. Biting her thumb in thought, she glanced down down at the drawer and noticed another object tucked in the back.

Moving the sake bottles out of the way, she pulled out an old, yellowed envelope. It was closed and sealed with a sign that Sakura didn't recognize. Tsunade had never taught her this seal, which meant that this document was probably top secret. Even trying to open it might make the thing explode.

Sakura frowned and flipped in over to see faded writing on the front. It simply read _Uchiha Scheme_ in scribbled handwriting. Uchiha Scheme?

The envelope was just another mystery to add to the heap of questions in Sakura's head. While wondering if there was any way to open it safely, Sakura suddenly heard the worst sound she could have heard at the moment – very familiar heels clicking closer towards her from down the hallway.

With a kunoichi's speed, she tucked the envelope and papers back into the drawer and pushed the bottles back into place. Shutting the drawer again, Sakura sealed it back with a few quick hand signs, and in one fluid motion she hopped out the window and closed it shut behind her. She immediately masked her chakra to remain undetected.

The moment the window clicked shut, the office door slowly creaked open. Two sets of footsteps entered.

Sakura found she had to hold her breath to keep herself from panting furiously. With a start, she realized that she could very clearly hear Tsunade's voice from her awkward perch on the outer stone wall.

". . . And don't think I don't know what you meant by that," the Hokage was saying, "I trust Sakura enough to know that she wouldn't run out of medical treatment to go to that compound."

So Tsunade had found out that Sakura had left her hospital room. She was probably defending Sakura to whoever was in the room with her. It hurt to know that Tsunade had that much faith in her, without knowing that her "pride pupil" had just broken into her office! Out of shame, Sakura was about to head back down the wall, until she heard the voice of Jiraiya. He sounded upset.

"It's not that I think little of your student, Tsunade, rather it's _him_ I was referring to. You know that I think he's still dangerous."

Tsunade sighed. "He may be dangerous, Jiraiya, but aren't we all? Sasuke can be an incredible asset to this village. He proved his worth tenfold in all those missions over the last two years. Besides, once I convince him to move out of that god-forsaken compound, we'll all move on, and this entire matter can be put to rest once and for all."

Both Sannin were silent for a moment.

"So you have no intention of telling him then, do you?"

"Tell him about the conspiracy? No, Jiraiya, I won't tell him. It's for his own good. Sasuke is . . . someone who needs an enemy. He needs someone to hate, to blame for his past. I didn't tell him because it's best for him to think he cleared all the demons from his own closet. He thinks it's finished."

Sakura held on to every word like her last breath. This was definitely something she wasn't supposed to hear. Tsunade trusted that Sasuke had good intentions by coming back, but Sakura knew him well enough to know that Sasuke never did anything on a whim. His moves were always careful and calculated, which meant that his return after Pein's capture was no coincidence. And what was this conspiracy Tsunade mentioned? Did it have something to do with this so called Uchiha Scheme?

Jiraiya was speaking now. "Alright, Tsunade, I'll trust your judgment on this one. I just wonder how Naruto will react when he finds out he's returned."

"It's not something I'm looking forward to seeing. That's why I sent him away, so that Sasuke could have a chance to become more integrated into the village before Naruto confronts him. No one's looking forward to that reunion. Kakashi said he would try to soften the blow as well."

"Hn," muttered Jiraiya, "At least we have a few weeks before our hyperactive ninja comes back. But until then, let me catch you up on my newest research!" He clapped his hands in eagerness.

"Finally, some updates," Tsunade said more cheerfully. "You know I've been starving here without any new material from you."

"Don't worry, it's well worth the wait!" he exclaimed, "As you know, I recently spent some time at the Kenkon spa . . ."

Sakura backed slowly down the wall, her eye twitching. She didn't know_what_ that was about, but something told her she wouldn't want to hear any more of it.

Hopping to the ground, she walked aimlessly away from the tower to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. _Uchiha Scheme_. Those words kept echoing in her mind. She knew that whatever it was, it was important, maybe something that connected all the questions that had formed over the past few days.

_Conspiracy_. That was the word Tsunade had used. Suppose the scheme was the conspiracy? That made sense. But that also meant that the prominent Uchiha clan was involved in a conspiracy! And if Sasuke didn't even know about it, it couldn't have been what brought him back to Konoha. Maybe the two things weren't related after all?

She seemed to be back at square one, staring up at the prison in hopeless confusion. Her thoughts returned the man sitting within it, alone in the dark, and a stab of pain ripped through her chest. She didn't care if anyone saw her, she didn't care that hidden guards were probably watching her as she stared abandonedly at the building.

She would miss him, more than she had missed Sasuke the day he walked away from her, more than she had missed her emotionally distant parents when they had left for that final mission that cost them their lives. But she had tried to save him, didn't she? She healed him, warned him when she found out his life was in danger, and begged him to give up information to stay alive. What more could she have done? Was there anything else left to do?

The quiet whispering of a sudden cool breeze chilled her to the bone. Glancing up at the cloud covered sky, she heard the rain before she felt it. A rhythmic chime of droplets began as they hit the road and rooftops, picking up speed until the pink haired kunoichi was drenched and shivering in the street.

Turning her face up to the sky, Sakura allowed the raindrops to soak her features and slide down her cold neck. The soft patter of water tapping on her skin stirred in her the memory of a dream. She could almost feel Pein's cool fingers grazing gently over her, replacing the wetness of the rain with something far more comforting.

Boom. Sakura jumped and whipped her head towards the sudden sound, deafeningly loud and far off. A cloud of brown smoke rose up a mile away, contrasting sharply with the gray sky. The rain seemed to have no effect on the cloud as it grew and seemed to spread across the village.

Was the village under attack? Sakura crouched on instinct, ready to jump onto the rooftops and race to the scene. But something held her back. She looked back at the prison and saw three ninja silently leap down from the building's roof and bound past her, kicking up newly formed puddles as they went. She heard shouting from somewhere far off, and watched, rooted to the ground, as several more shinobi ran by.

She should go to the scene. She should find Tsunade to get orders. She should go to help. But she might have just been given a last opportunity to see him! Torn between loyalties, she watched as the cloud began to dissipate. She could just make out things flying around in the cloud's stead, like giant birds. What was going on?

Movement out of the corner of her eye. Sakura turned to catch a black cloaked figure rush into the prison, using the front door no less. Was this about – Pein! Akatsuki was rescuing him!

Sakura raced inside after the figure, out of sight, but she knew where the person was headed. Down the stairs, three at a time, and she skidded to a stop in the hallway. There was the lean figure of Kakashi, slumped against the wall motionlessly.

_No_. Sakura ran to him, praying that he was okay, and felt his pulse. He was alive. She pulled up his eyelid and watched the movements of his dilated pupil, realizing he was just under a strong genjutsu. But if the illusion was strong enough to catch Kakashi, it was not likely that she could release it herself.

A sudden metallic clatter from the interrogation room caught her attention. Pulling out a kunai, Sakura edged her way over to the threshold and peeked within.

The metal latches that held Pein lay twisted on the floor. A tall woman in black robes was pulling him out of his chair, swinging his arm over her shoulder. His eyes were closed and his bare chest was heaving at the effort. He grunted at the sudden movement of being forced to stand on legs that hadn't been used in a week.

Sakura bravely stepped into the doorway, holding out her kunai and hoping she didn't look as scared as she felt. The woman straightened and turned to her with a pale face and heavy lidded eyes, showing no expression at the young medic standing in her way. It was as if she wasn't even surprised to see her there. She shifted Pein higher onto her shoulder and took a step forward.

"Stop!" yelled Sakura, "Who are you? What did you do to Kakashi?"

Pein's eyes shot open and he looked at her as if he just realized she was there.

"Princess," he smiled, managing to look sweet even as he dangled from his comrade's arm. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura didn't lower her weapon. "Pein, I . . ."

The woman made a _tsk_ sound and pulled her other hand around Pein to support him better. Sakura felt a sharp pang of jealousy as the woman spoke.

"If you're worried about the man outside," she said listlessly, "The genjutsu he is under was meant to disarm him, not kill him. He will recover fully within ten minutes."

Sakura slowly lowered her kunai, looking back to Pein. He nodded slightly. "No one will be hurt today, Sakura. But I didn't plan on you're being here. This is a problem, isn't it? The choice is yours to make. Will you protect your loyalties or let us go?"

She swallowed hard, letting her hand with the kunai fall to her side. It really was her choice now, wasn't it? To go with him, and betray Konoha, would be to throw her life away. She would be hunted and hated by her friends, and grouped together with the infamous Akatsuki. Could she deny her village like that, and turn her back on her country?

But just the thought of being left behind in the village without him, and a sudden sob of defeat rose in her throat. She realized she didn't want Konoha, or the people in it. All that mattered was Pein, only Pein! Her eyes met his and she saw in them that glimmer of hope that she could never recognize in his eyes before. She knew that she had the strength to do what she wanted, needed to do.

"Pein," she said, holding back the tears, "what you said earlier, about us . . . I want you to know that I don't care what people think. I don't care what happens to me, I just want to be beside you."

He paused. "Do you know what you're saying, Sakura?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do. I trust you, I love you, and I'd run through hell and back to stay by your side. There's no decision to make."

A shout was heard from somewhere outside the building. The woman glanced down at him. "Leader, we must leave now."

"Alright, Konan. She's coming with us." He looked at Sakura once more for confirmation, and she nodded a reply.

The woman named Konan released Pein with one hand and made a concentration seal. Sakura instinctively stepped closer and grabbed his other arm and swung it over her own shoulder so he wouldn't fall; he was now held up by the two women, his head sagging forward and his breath still labored. Sakura basked in the joy of touching him again, even under such circumstances.

The little white origami flower tucked in Konan's blue hair suddenly bobbed and unfolded, rising up and twisting and splitting into thousands of little butterfly-like objects. They swarmed around the three of them, until they hid the room from sight, deafening them with the sound of a thousand paper wings fluttering.

Sakura felt a hitch in her stomach and the ground seemed to disappear from beneath her. She gripped Pein's arm and held onto him tightly.

Within a few seconds, the butterflies began to meld back into one, and her feet touched ground. They were standing in the darkness of thick woods at night. The tall oaks of the Fire Country protected them from the rain. Sakura, still gripping Pein's arm, stood dazed in awe of what she had just done. It was surreal, like some crazy dream that she expected to wake from at any minute.

"Let go, Sakura," said Konan, and the shock from hearing the strange woman say her name broke Sakura's trance. She slowly released Pein's arm as another figure stepped up from a shadow. It was a tall man with gray skin, wearing the same black cloak as Konan and flashing a sharp-toothed grin.

"Alright then, mission accomplished," he mused, striding right past Sakura to the man now slumped in Konan's arms.

He, quite unceremoniously, pulled Pein up to be slung over his back, arms over his shoulders and knees at his sides. To see one of the strongest ninja in the world in such a precarious position would have been hilarious in any other situation. But right then, all Sakura could focus on was her startling fear of these people and the fact that they were taking Pein with them.

The man motioned to Konan and they leapt away into the trees, Sakura following close behind. She was moving almost mechanically now; absentmindedly leaping away while her mind was screaming out everything that was wrong with her actions.

They ran for hours, but she hardly noticed. It all seemed like a dream. She was simply watching as her body ran away from her own village and everyone and everything she knew. The trees protected them from the rain the entire time they traveled, but the rhythmic pattering of scattered raindrops as they slipped through the leaves was mesmerizing.

At some point, she vaguely noticed that two other figures in black had joined their train. However, their presence was nothing compared to her current awe of Pein, even as she watched his slumped and weak figure from many yards behind.

He had the power to lead all these criminals, and control them even as he was in captivity. He had somehow organized a successful attack and rescue mission, without anyone noticing! As vulnerable as he was now, Sakura knew she had become more helpless than he, left with no option but to run after him in his incredible wake.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please, as always, read and review!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry about the late update! It feels great to finally finish a hard chapter, even if it's a bit of a teaser. I've just had a horrible month and every time I sat down to write this chapter, I'd get writer's block and go cry in a corner in disappointment (not really, but I wanted to). Maybe I need one of those beta peoples to look over my stuff and tell me when it's complete garbage... To answer one question, I unfortunately won't add any more Akatsuki members from here on. Although I would love, love to write Deidara and Itachi and the rest, the members alive here are basically the ones alive in the manga so far,so that's how I'm keeping it. Yeah so, anyway, enjoy reading!!

**Chapter 13**

The group ran for hours under the dark cover of Konoha's giant oaks, drenched from the continuous rainfall that showed no signs of letting up. They took no breaks, for the criminals were used to running such long distances to get to safety. Sakura, on the other hand, had trouble keeping up the harsh pace and was forced to push herself beyond what she thought was her limit. Her muscles cramped, her lungs burned, and her feet ached, but she focused her gaze on Pein and it was motivation enough to keep running.

Sakura shivered as they ran through countless villages and farmlands, wishing for the hundredth time in the last hour that she had some kind of coat. The Akatsuki were probably comfortable in their black outfits and hats, which seemed to be designed for this kind of country. But then again, Pein was more exposed to the weather as she was. She watched his bare back as the shark-like man ran just yards ahead of her. Didn't he care that his leader would catch a cold? It wasn't like Sakura couldn't heal Pein when they got to their destination, but it still seemed cruel.

The pouring sky was just melting into the light gray of dawn when they began to slow down. Sakura's limbs were now on fire from the long run; she hadn't pushed herself so hard in ages. After circumventing a particularly large city, the criminals hopped down from the trees to land before a small one-story building, built into the base of a mountain. Sakura could sense a strong barrier of chakra around it, which would block entry if one didn't know the right seal.

The others waited as one quickly made a hand sign and sent out a pulse of chakra, and the barrier weakened enough to let them pass.

Inside the building was a dreary and windowless room that looked a bit like a foyer, with several doorways on the far three walls. The room had torch-lit stone walls and jade colored carpeting, and hosted a half dozen dark couches scattered about. This was the infamous Akatsuki's hideout?

All this Sakura saw in an instant before she was tackled from behind and landed on her stomach with a muffled groan.

"Tobi loves this girl! So cute!"

She twisted up to look at the orange-masked man sitting on her back, attempting to hug her waist. Drops of water fell from his wet hair and onto her soaked face and clothes.

"U-Um . . . who's Tobi?"

"I am!" he pointed to himself, "I'm Tobi! What's your name?"

"Sakura," she huffed out from the weight on her back. She glanced, baffled, at the other three members. They stood disinterestedly watching the interaction as if this was normal behavior for this man.

"What a pretty name, Sakura! Tobi loves meeting new people, he really does!"

He hopped gracefully off Sakura's back and pulled her strongly to her feet. She made a mental note to heal her bruised elbows later.

"Nice to meet you, Tobi. Um, can I have your names?" She motioned her head at the rest of the group, and was greeted with silent stares.

Tobi eagerly stepped in. "Sakura, this is Kisame, Konan, and Zetsu. They don't like telling people their names, but they're really okay once you get to know them! They didn't even like Tobi at first, but when Senpei died, they all were really nice and –"

"Thank you, Tobi," said Konan quietly, and the man actually shut up.

Kisame shrugged and pulled Pein off his back, unceremoniously dumping him down on the nearest couch before throwing off his rain-soaked cloak and plopping down on one himself. He laid his head back towards the ceiling.

"Careful, baka!" Konan hissed at Kisame, "I told you, Pein's body isn't numb."

Sakura took a step toward Pein, but Konan cut her off. The blue-haired woman took his arm and gently shifted the unconscious man so he was sitting up on the couch. She stared daggers at the Kisame, who just shrugged and scratched his belly.

"Yeah, yeah. You sure you're not just pissy 'cuz your paper's wet?"

He ducked from a quickly thrown kunai and bared an array of sharp yellow teeth.

"A joke, woman, it was a joke."

"Tobi loves jokes."

"Quiet, Tobi," Kisame snapped.

"Do you want Tobi to tell you one, Sakura?"

She smiled but shook her head. "Right now, I have to help Pein."

Every eye in the room was suddenly on her, including the narrowed eyes of Konan, who still held Pein upright on the couch.

Sakura bit her lip and felt herself shrink under their scrutiny.

"Will you let me help him?"

Konan stared at her and slowly nodded. "You're a medic, right?"

"Yeah. Please help me lay him down somewhere, I want to heal him as soon as possible."

It was no easy task to lift Pein up and carry him down one hallway, through a maze of doorways and corridors that ran deep inside the mountain. Sakura was awestruck at the sheer size of the layout of the place, but luckily Konan seemed to know exactly where she was going. The women walked in silence, each one tucked under one of Pein's arms.

They reached a large wooden door deep inside the hideout. Konan pushed it open and they stepped into a small bedroom, already softly illuminated by torches on the wall. After laying him down on the bed, Sakura sat down next to him to catch her breath. She watched Konan pause next to them, her eyes tilted down to Pein's face. The look in her eyes was all too familiar to Sakura.

"He'll be okay," Sakura said quietly.

The woman sighed. "I know. Just . . ."

She seemed to want to say something, but thought better of it. She nodded at her and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Kisame was sprawled on the couch in the same stoic position that the women had left him in. Tobi had also found a seat, his legs tucked under him and his face turned towards nothing in particular. Only Zetsu still stood. They looked like they had been waiting for her to return.

"You left her with him, then." Kisame growled. He watched as the woman slumped onto a chair and rubbed her temples.

"We don't know we can trust her yet," said Zetsu, "_Tell us what you know_."

She closed her eyes before answering. "I told you, Pein was being tortured periodically while he was held prisoner. She was the medic that healed him. I know that he trusts her, which means we can, too. I also suspect that she was the reason we were told to hold off an attack until so late."

"You mentioned the medic might join us on the way back," Tobi said, "How did you know that?"

"A woman knows when she sees a connection between two people. It wasn't hard to imagine that she would follow him. But you men are idiots, you wouldn't understand."

"A connection?"

"Yes. It's obvious she has feelings for him, feelings that are strong enough to pull her away from her own village. That alone should be enough for you to trust her. But again, you wouldn't understand."

Kisame grumbled something under his breath and stood up. "Alright, Konan," he said loudly, "since you're so keen on letting her stay, she's your responsibility until Leader wakes up. Got it? I want nothing to do with her, as long as she stays out of my way. I'm going to sleep."

He walked out, leaving the room in silence for a few minutes but for the faint crackling of the torches.

Zetsu was the first to speak, his darker side taking over. "_Is Leader going to keep his pet here, then?_"

"Yes. I think so. I really don't know."

"_Mmh. Good. It looks tasty_."

"Careful, Zetsu. Pein won't be pleased if you eat her."

He snickered and melted away into the floor.

"Tobi's going to bed, too. G'night!" He waved at Konan and ran off towards his own section of the complex.

Alone in the room, Konan stared off into space for a minute before absently pulling something out of her pocket. She fiddled with it for a few minutes before giving up, tossing the crumpled wet paper to the floor.

It was useless to make origami while under this kind of stress, anyway.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura was spent; all Pein's wounds were healed and the drug pulled from his system, but he still slept. It was probably just sheer exhaustion that left him this way, and she was beginning to feel as tired as he was.

As she dissipated the last of her glowing chakra from her hands, She wiped the sweat off her brow and lay down next to him. Turning on her side, she watched his face as he slept. He was wearing the same stern, closed expression as when she first saw him back in Konoha, and his piercings glinted in the low light as they did then. She carefully touched her favorite ones, the pair of spikes just below his lower lip. They added to that dangerous edge that Sakura couldn't resist; she savored the touch of the cold metal under her fingers, so close to the softness of his lips.

He really was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She loved his smile, his eyes, his laugh, what he said, and how he said it. And he was really hers.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she was afraid to fall asleep for fear that she would wake up in her own bed, as if it was all a dream. But Pein had said he loved her, and she believed him. It was just surreal to think that she had just done what Sasuke had done five years ago. She turned her back on her village, purposely turning herself into a traitor and breaking any bonds she held with her friends there.

"I can't believe I did it," she said to herself, rolling onto her back to look at the ceiling, "I actually left Konoha."

That fact was thrilling, terrifying, and liberating all at once. Back in Konoha (as strange as it was to say that), she led a life that was somewhat incomplete. She had grown complacent with a dull existence, always expecting that it was the only life she could live. But here, now, she had taken fate into her own hands and ran a risk that just weeks ago, she would have thought unthinkable.

It was all due to him. Pein had woken something inside of her that had yearned to break free, maybe part of her that had always wanted to escape the strict bounds of the village. Yes, Pein was a powerful and dangerous man, but she wasn't afraid of him. Just the fact that he was there next to her was more comforting than anything in the world.

She smiled and closed her eyes in contentment. The bed was amazingly soft and smelt vaguely like Pein, and that alone could coax her to rest. As her mind turned lethargic from exhaustion, she decided that tomorrow would be a much better time to think about the consequences of her actions. Yes, tomorrow, when Pein might be awake and he could explain exactly what they were going to do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sometime later, a shift in the bed and the sound of a rustling blanket slowly woke Sakura from a deep sleep. Before opening her eyes, she reveled in the comfort of a good rest after a long day. Come to think of it, she didn't know what day it was, nor how long she had slept for. And this wasn't even her bed. She opened her eyes to a dark, unfamiliar room, and panicked briefly before remembering where she was. In the Akatsuki hideout, where no Konoha shinobi had gone before. But the bed was empty beside her; Pein had left. Stretching out the sleep from her limbs, she swung her legs off the bed and curiously looked around the room.

It obviously wasn't a room made to be lived in. There was nothing special about it, no pictures or personal belongings, just a few expensive-looking pieces of dark wood furniture and a bed. It could easily have been mistaken for a hotel room, if not for the fact that there were no windows. Did Pein really live here?

At any rate, he couldn't have gone far, Sakura mused, and she hopped up and entered the maze of hallways in what she assumed was the right direction. Attempting to fix her sleep-tossed hair as she went, she retraced her steps, making sure to keep quiet as she went. She didn't forget where she was, nor the danger she might face if she ran into another Akatsuki member without Pein there to protect her.

Eventually, she could feel the faint sense of a chakra signature nearby. It lead her to an intricately carved wooden door that seemed to be at the very heart of the hideout. Praying she wasn't making a mistake, she pushed it open silently and peeked inside.

The room was surprisingly large, with several couches and tables lain about. It was dark but for a dim orange light cast from a large fireplace to the left. Standing in front of it, and staring down distractedly into the orange flames, was Pein. One hand was on the stone mantel, the other gripped something she couldn't quite see. He had changed pants, but still wore no shirt, showing his muscled body that Sakura was beginning to appreciate. With his naturally bright hair and tan skin, his whole body seemed to glow the color of the fire he gazed into.

She stepped in and closed the door quietly behind her. She hesitantly turned to face him, unsure whether or not he wanted her to speak. She watched him stare past the fire, deep in his thoughts that she couldn't know. It was strange seeing him like this. He had been a fearsome man while sitting locked to a chair. But now, standing tall and strong before her, she could sense the awesome power he held, both in his body and in his face. He turned his head, and their eyes locked.

"Sakura," he said, and his lips formed the hint of a smile.

He suddenly closed the gap between them, his eyes bright and resolute. She felt a fleeting pang of fear before he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly as if she might run away. She inhaled sharply. This . . . it was like her dream.

She stood shocked for a moment under such intimate contact, but the touch of his body was relaxing rather than frightening. She raised her hands and ran them up his sides, settling on his muscled back. His skin was wonderfully warm from the fire. Her hands still shook slightly against him, not forgetting the dangerous man he was now that he wasn't chained. But it was very hard to be afraid of him when he held her like this. Pulling away to look at his face, she could have melted under his softened gaze. Such a heated feeling inside was like nothing she'd felt before.

The moment she opened her mouth to speak (although she didn't know what to say), he lowered his head to hers and kissed her full on the lips. It was a passionate kiss reminiscent of their first, but now there was no constraint on time nor on Pein. He held her body to his as he tongue ravished her mouth, and she determinedly matched his intensity even while her body shivered in delight.

She hadn't realized the wall was so close until her back touched it, pushed by the force of his body against hers. In return she slipped her hand behind his head, threading her fingers through his tousled hair. They were both panting fiercely by the time Sakura pulled away to catch her breath. Pein made a sound close to a moan as her lips left his.

"Pein," she whispered in a heated voice, "I – I want to be sure that you meant what you said, before . . ."

He stared at her, then laughed, a beautiful sound to her ears. He stepped back just enough to allow breathing room between them.

"You have no idea, do you?"

She just looked at him, confused.

He touched his forehead to hers. "You have no idea how much it hurt me . . . to hear you speak of Sasuke, to watch you cry and not be able to comfort you. I want to comfort you, Sakura. I want to protect you from everything that you're afraid of. Because seeing you upset, and being unable to help, was worse torture than anything that interrogator could do to me."

Sakura swore her heart skipped a beat. She felt lightheaded and relieved all at once.

"So you were teasing me all along, weren't you? You already knew how I felt and you –"

"Yes, and I love you, too, Sakura."

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again, almost giddy from happiness.

A sharp knock interrupted the kiss before they could pick up where they left off. Pein growled in exasperation and looked to the door.

"Come in," he called. The door opened and Konan poked her head in. Upon seeing the two so close her eyes widened momentarily, but quickly shot back to their usual monotonous tone.

"Pein, I informed the others you were awake. They are waiting for you."

"Thank you, Konan, I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded and left. After the door shut, Pein sighed and looked to the floor.

Sakura watched interestedly as he picked up his dropped hitai-ate and tied it around his head. It was a shock when he turned to face her again, proudly wearing the scratched mark of a missing-nin. He had suddenly transformed back into the fierce Akatsuki leader, standing tall and staring back at her with eyes that reflected the bright flames.

_No,_she told herself,_ I wouldn't pretend to fear him any longer just because I'm supposed to._ She flashed him a devious smile and stepped in to brush her lips against his.

"Just hurry up, Pein, I'll be waiting here."

x


	14. Chapter 14

Chicka-boom. Another chapter, too late to be excusable.

Just to clear things up for you - Since hiding an identity is a big part ANBU, I've had characters using their code names while in action. Well, they use the code names that I gave them, anyway. I'm sure you can figure out who's who. Enjoy ; )

**Chapter 14**

"You alright there?" Pein asked as he watched Sakura pop her shoulder back into place with a hiss.

"Yea, no worries. I did tell you not to go too easy on me," she panted, rolling her shoulder and getting back into her fighting stance.

"That's my girl. But remember not to keep your left side so exposed. I could have done a lot more damage there."

Sakura nodded determinedly and raised her kunai towards her opponent, now halfway across the large underground training room. She had convinced Pein to try sparring with her only a few days ago, and she could already sense some improvement in her close combat skills. He seemed to slip into the roll of teacher easily enough, but refused to take it a step up to battling with jutsus or his Rinnegan. It was an understandable limitation; Sakura didn't feel like getting accidentally killed in a sparring match, anyway.

"Now watch my foot movements. An opponent will often fake a move twice to startle you, then attack. Ready?"

She nodded and tensed up. In the blink of an eye Pein was right beside her. She blocked a quick jab at her side and twisted around to give a high kick in his direction. It was dodged, like all her shots at him were, but that fact just gave her more motivation to improve.

He threw a sudden punch at close range. Without thinking, Sakura stood her ground to block it and was thrown back into the wall, cracking the stone behind her.

She swore under her breath and rose to her feet, resisting the urge to rub her back. She knew Pein couldn't think much of her fighting skills, so she refused to show any further weakness. Glancing up, she realized he had disappeared. Her eyes narrowed as she scoped the cavern, from the far corners to the domed roof. She stepped over the various scrolls and weapons that littered the floor, and twirled her kunai on her finger to relieve some tension.

"I know you're in here," she whispered, enjoying the rush of adrenaline that came with a good fight. Unfortunately, Pein was incredibly good at cloaking his chakra, making him untraceable even at close distance.

Well, as long as she was losing, she might as well have fun with it, right?

Licking her lips, Sakura concentrated on using the telepathic connection Pein had opened with her back in Konoha. That connection, like the one he used with his Akatsuki team, allowed him to communicate over long distances. So as long as he kept his mind open to receive a message, she could 'speak' to him without actually speaking. She smiled inwardly, remembering how startled she had been when Pein first opened that connection and spoke into her mind.

_You can't hide forever_, she egged telepathically, _I know you're too afraid_ _to attack! Such a child . . ._

Sudden movement behind her, and she couldn't move. Pein's arms were wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side. He laughed lightly and bent to kiss her neck.

"Trying to incite me to make a mistake," he murmured, "That's something I won't do."

"Well, I got you out of hiding, didn't I?"

"Good point." His kisses traveled up her neck, making her shiver. "You know, I haven't had this much fun sparring in a long time. You fight differently than the others."

"I hope that doesn't mean you'll go easy on me." She dropped under his arms and swung her leg around for a low kick, which was easily evaded as he jumped back a few feet.

"I wouldn't dream of letting you win, princess. The ego of a god like me is too great for that." He smirked at the face Sakura made whenever he referred to himself as a god. She thought it reeked of conceit. He thought it was hilarious.

Picking up a stray shuriken on the floor, he flicked it in her direction. Sakura leapt up to avoid it and twisted midair to kick off the wall, giving her the thrust to dive back towards him, kunai aimed and ready. Pein raised his own knife to block hers, and with a clash of metal, the kunai met and scraped edges until both had nicked an arm each. Sakura leapt back and glanced at the shallow cut on her arm. A small trail of red traveled down the skin to her hand, and she noticed the crimson tint on her blade.

"Gotcha!" She did a triumphant fist pump. "So you are human, after all. Bet you didn't expect me to-"

A kunai was pressed to her throat. "Too slow!" he whispered in her ear. He bit down on it playfully. "I believe I've won again, princess."

"Think so?" she replied, her mind racing for an escape route. She wouldn't give up this easily. The fight had been too short.

The kunai was lowered though, giving Sakura enough room to duck under it and get out of reach. But Pein was still standing with a frown on his face, his eyes somewhat distant. He was talking to someone telepathically. She squatted comfortably on the ground to wait, twirling her weapon on her finger as she watched him.

He snapped to. "We've got company. There are four ninjas closing in on the compound, from the direction of Fire."

She fell on her ass in shock. "From Konoha?"

"You knew that there's been ANBU combing the borders for the past few days, but they haven't gone any further until now. Only two people I know would have the guts to come back into my country to reach me . . ."

"One must be Jiraiya, since he captured you before. But who's the other?"

His look of concern gave her a bad feeling. "The only other person to attack me being any sort of threat," he said quietly, "Is the one who had weakened me enough . . . to the point where Jiraiya could catch me."

Sakura stood up. "Someone attacked you before Jiraiya did?"

"You think that old man could take me down by himself?"

"That's what we thought. He is a Sannin, after all."

Pein made a sad smile. "Sannin. Those three never knew what they were doing from the moment I met them."

"Hey," she pointed her kunai towards him, "Don't talk about Tsunade like that. We've been over this. But who was it that got to you first?"

"Sakura, that person was someone I didn't want you to think badly of. It would have hurt you to know what happened; I wanted to spare you that."

She felt her face pale. "What are you talking about?"

"We have to get to the surface before they get here. I'll tell you on the way."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Four figures jumped down from the boughs of the high trees, in a thinning forest that hardly shielded them from the light mist of a dusk rain. Three of them were dressed in the typical ANBU uniform, black tight-fitting clothing under pieces of light armor. White masks hid their faces under the guise of a dog, a fox, and a lion. A third figure was cloaked in black, his face hidden by its hood.

The three turned to the dog masked man.

"Why are we stopping?" yelled the fox, "We have to keep going!"

"We should have found them by now," said answered cloaked one.

The lion cocked his head. "It's only been four days. We haven't even covered a quarter of the country."

"That's why we have to use the rest of the daylight! It's gonna be dark soon –"

"Settle down, Kitsune. We can't exhaust ourselves this soon into the mission."

"Mission? This is not just any mission! You make it sound like it's not Sakura's life at stake, K – Tenrousei!"

The man seemed about to say something, but he sighed and leaned back against the tree behind him.

"We're doing all we can."

The fox looked at the ground, his fists clenched. "That's not good enough! We're taking too many breaks. We have to keep moving, I don't care how long we have to look."

"I agree," said the cloaked one. "I'd rather we keep searching, at least until dark. We know what that group is capable of. They'd kill a kunoichi like her in the blink of an eye."

The fox looked to him in silence, the mask hiding any emotion his face would have exposed.

"And you, Shishi?" asked the dog, "If all three of you want to push a few more hours, we can pull it off."

The lion nodded. "We must rescue her as soon as possible. I think, even if we are worn out, we still have a high chance of success."

"Alright then. We'll carry on in this direction until we search the next city. But no more mutiny when I call for a stop," he said dryly. "Let's go."

All four figures leapt up into the high trees, which assured them more speed and safety than a run on the ground. Although the group immediately spread out over a hundred yards or so, the fox found his way over to the lion.

"Shishi," he whispered, "I wanna ask you something."

The lion nodded, keeping his vision ahead of him. The two had grown closer over the past few years. One had an aching need for a new friend to trust and believe in, the other needed help growing accustomed to the unfamiliar notion friendship and normalcy. And after working in ANBU together for a year, they had not only set aside their childish arguments, but began to form a bond that made them a formidable team in battle.

"Have you noticed that, ah, Tenrousei doesn't seem to be, you know . . . worried? He's not really pushing us."

"I noticed that as well. We haven't been searching at full capacity."

The two ran side by side in silence for few minutes.

"Kitsune. I remember all my scout and infiltration training from Roots, which allows me to read body language and speech. And I'm certain that our captain is hiding something."

Exchanging a glance, they continued in silence unusual for the pair.

At the front of the group, the remaining two members of the team held their own conversation, in frustrated whispers.

"You know we're going to find them eventually. Do you even have a plan?"

"Not really. But what choice did I have? If we didn't all agree to convince the Hokage to create this mission, he would have gone off on his own to find her, which could have turned out even worse."

"Hn. I'm surprised that damn effeminate Roots guy came."

"Raion's been an incredible asset to our team, Hebi."

He winced at the code name assigned to him by the Hokage herself. Although she kept a straight face when she told him, she seemed to get some personal satisfaction from reminding the boy where he stood as far as she was concerned.

"The three of us would have been sufficient."

"Or maybe you're just jealous that he has someone else to compete with now?"

"You're insane, old man."

He ignored him. "That must explain why you were so eager to come along. Maybe you thought he would open up to you again. After all, a punch in the face isn't a great welcome back present, is it?"

"Let's just stick to the matter at hand. You don't seem to be concerned about what Kitsune will do once we find them. That could be a problem."

"It shouldn't. Sakura will tell him how she feels, he will have to accept it, and we head home again. No one has to get hurt."

"So you've completely ruled out the idea that she was kidnapped."

"I think we know better than that. Sakura wouldn't have just disappeared as she did. She's strong now; she would have put up a fight that day."

"Hn. Like you did?"

Apparently there was a need to pick up speed as the masked man pulled on ahead. The other, watching him through narrowed eyes, smirked and focused on pacing himself as he ran. He needed to save his strength for a great fight once they found their targets.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura was watching the light rainfall from under the shelter of a tree a half mile from the entrance to the hideout. Her arms were crossed as she frowned up at the darkening sky, where neither the moon nor the stars would be visible tonight. She was ready for a fight, she was ready for anything. Nothing could surprise her after this sudden barrage of information that gave her a headache when she thought of it.

Back in the compound, Konan had recognized only two chakra signatures – those of Sasuke and Naruto, who had no doubt settled their differences to find her. As for the others, couldn't yet know who they were. Pein told her he had telepathically ordered the others to stay away from the fight.

But what could possibly be the outcome? She knew she would stay with him, no matter what. But Naruto had almost died trying to bring back Sasuke, on several occasions. She only hoped he would not try to do the same for her.

.Pein appeared beside her, his shoulder touching hers.

"They'll be here in five minutes. Do you need more time? I can distract them."

She shook her head, hesitated, and then turned to wrap her arms around his waist. Her head settled in the crook of his neck as his hands found her hips.

"I don't need more time, Pein," she spoke into his chest, "What you did was . . . it's in the past. I can't pretend I understand, though."

"You don't have to. I won't need to use tactics like that again."

They stood in silence for a moment, enjoying the comfort of each others' embrace.

"This is gonna be hard," she whispered meekly.

He squeezed her. "I'd say 'I'll protect you', but I know you don't need it."

She smiled up at him, until a shout from the distance distracted them.

There wasn't another sound, but Sakura knew the four were sprinting in their direction. In an instant, four men jumped down from the trees in fighting stances, swords drawn, faces hidden. All four of them froze on the spot.

xxxxxxxxx

Ok ok, I'm a really mean author for leaving a cliffhanger. But I really wanted to get some material out, cuz do I feel bad when I'm too busy to write and update. And if you're confused about what's happening, next chapter should really clear things up!

x


	15. Chapter 15

Late, late late. I got such a writer's block I couldn't function. Finally, new chapter - thanks for your patience, dear readers! Oh and I'm looking for a beta, to help me out with ideas and whatnot. Anyway, enjoy and please review!!

**Chapter 15**

The forest was silent but for the soft howling of the wind through the trees. Three masked Konoha ANBU and one unranked shinobi gaped at the sight before them. Sakura, their comrade, their medic, their kidnapped friend, was comfortably wrapped in the arms of the most infamous criminal alive.

Her shocked gaze lingered from familiar mask to mask until it landed on the only exposed face in the group – that of Sasuke. Her sudden frown surprised him.

Naruto was the first to respond, his face still hidden under his fox ANBU mask. He pointed his katana at the man behind her.

"Let her go, you sick bastard!" He had either misunderstood the situation, or refused to accept it. "We're here to take her back, right now!"

"Naruto . . ." Sakura's voice was no more than a whisper.

Kakashi's sharp tone interrupted her. "Sakura, remember that we are ANBU. No names."

Pein laughed lightly from behind her, resting the side of his head against Sakura's. "But we all know each other here! You are the copy ninja, Kakashi Hayate. That's the Kyuubi host, Naruto Uzumaki, and that one, the Roots scout dubbed Sai. And everyone here knows Sasuke."

Kakashi, cursing under his breath, ripped off his mask to reveal two angry mismatched eyes. The other two took off theirs, and Sasuke hesitantly lowered his hood. He met Pein's eyes in silence.

"Sakura, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Naruto growled, looking more angry than concerned. His face showed the faintest signs of the demon inside him, with his canines extended and his eyes gleaming red.

"I'm fine, Naruto."

"Well – what are you waiting for? Get away from him!"

She winced and looked away.

"Sakura doesn't seem to be restrained," said Sai, lowering his katana slightly, "I think there's something else going on here."

"Somethi- what are you talking about?" He turned back to the pair, finally noticing the lack of hostility between them. Sakura was leaning into Pein fearlessly, and the criminal was smiling vaguely, seemingly amused by the situation.

"Sakura, let's go," he said warningly. "Before he attacks you."

She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "But Pein would never hurt me."

"Of course he would! He's an Akatsuki, remember?"

"I know."

"So how can you know he won't kill you?"

"Because - he loves me, and I love him, too!" Her voice echoed through the empty forest. Sasuke and Kakashi exchanged quick glances. Sai stiffened and Naruto nearly dropped his katana.

"He – you – What? No, no, he kidnapped you! He took you 'cuz he's a crazy killer and he wants to kill you, too!"

She moved to take a step toward him, but thought better of it. Although she had no intention of hurting Naruto, she should have known that he would take it harder than the others.

"I don't understand, Sakura. Why?" Naruto's body shook from what she thought was the demon's power. But when he looked up at her, she saw only confused pain.

"Naruto, please don't be upset. I didn't plan for this to happen. It just did, and I can't help it. I love whom I love."

She felt a stab in her heart when she looked into the pained eyes of her friend. Naruto's face was foreign without a smile on it.

"Well this is all very nice for you, Sakura," hissed Sasuke, "But you aren't thinking clearly! You couldn't possibly have thought you'd get away with this."

"Why not? You seemed to 'get away' with it, Sasuke. You already knew why I left. Just like I know the real reason why you're here now."

"Sakura, what are you talking about?" asked Kakashi.

She hesitated slightly. She knew that none of the others would want to accept the truth, but it had to be said. She met Sasuke's eyes and saw a sudden anxiousness in them.

"The reason Sasuke came back to the village was because he found out a piece of information from Orochimaru, about the death of his clan."

"I thought his brother killed them," said Sai.

"He did," snapped Sasuke angrily, "But Itachi was following orders from his superior. He was ordered by that man to kill them!" He pointed his katana towards Pein dramatically. The criminal frowned back at him in silence.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke with narrowed eyes. "Is that why you were so eager to rescue her, Sasuke? To get a chance to kill Pein?"

"Sasuke . . ." Naruto said quietly. "Don't you want to save Sakura?"

"That's not the point!" he snapped back at them both. "I swore from the day they were murdered that I would kill the man responsible for my clan's death. And right now, Sakura is the one standing between us!"

"No!" Sakura shouted. "You don't know the whole story. Pein only did what he could because your clan was evil!"

Sasuke's Sharingan activated suddenly as he glowered at her. "That's not true! That monster brainwashed you! How could someone who killed a hundred people possibly defend himself?"

"Because what Orochimaru told you was only half the truth."

"Explain yourself, Sakura," said Kakashi. His face showed a rare expression of anger that she had only seen when he was in battle. But his sword was lowered, and his head was tilted to allow Sasuke into his line of vision.

Sakura took a deep breath. "The reason Pein ordered the destruction of the clan was because the Uchihas were planning a revolt against the entire village, to claim it as their own. They were going to massacre every single shinobi in Konoha and rule over the remaining civilians. Pein had them all killed to stop the attack and save the village."

She felt a rush of wind as a katana blade swiped close to her face. Pein had pulled her behind him and easily deflected the blow with a kunai.

"That's a damn lie!" Sasuke roared, leaping back from his attack. He tensed to make another rush.

"Sasuke, stand down!" Kakashi shouted. He jumped between the Uchiha and the pair. He turned to Sakura fiercely. "Can you back any of this up, Sakura?"

She stepped next to Pein and nodded determinedly. "I overheard Tsunade and Jiraiya talking about it. They didn't tell Sasuke to spare him the pain of knowing the truth. I even saw a sealed document in Tsuande's desk that Pein knew about. I'm sure that if you read what was inside, you'd find the proof there that the Third knew all about it."

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled. "You're lying! My clan policed the shinobi, they would never attack them!"

"People put into a position of authority," said Pein, "Often confuse it with a birth-given right to rule. Your clan's ancestors helped found the village, and they believed they were owed the power to control it."

"This doesn't make sense," Sai said, "You're a criminal, and a conspirator. Your group has attacked villages before. Why would you try to save Konoha?"

"He didn't _save_ Konoha!" Sasuke spat out.

"I had my people do what had to be done, to accomplish my own mission. But I never attacked Konoha, and I never will. Let's just say I have a certain respect for it. And when I found out that the Uchihas would attempt an uprising, I knew the world wasn't ready for such a drastic revolution. Not yet, anyway. I used the chance to put my scout Itachi to good use. You know, he really was quite a weasel; not one person suspected that he was an Akatsuki, for years. Especially not little Sasuke."

Pein's arm went up as Sasuke's sword descended on him from above. Their weapons met and with a slight push from Pein, Sasuke was flung back several yards.

"I said stand down, Sasuke! Our mission is to rescue Sakura, not attack an Akatsuki!"

"Sasuke, listen to Kakashi!" Naruto hissed.

"Pein, please don't incite him like that," Sakura whispered to Pein as she pulled out a kunai of her own. She had a bad feeling that a real fight would be had here, and there was no escaping it.

"He does have quite a temper," Pein chuckled, smiling back at Sasuke.

The Uchiha moved to tap his wrists lightly, and flicked several shuriken that curved around Kakashi. Pein picked Sakura up and leapt away in time to miss the stars as they struck deep into the tree behind them. It sizzled with blue current from the electrically charged weapons.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelped, "You're gonna hit Sakura!"

Sasuke ignored him, watching with glowing eyes as Pein placed Sakura down gingerly on a high branch across the clearing.

"I don't need your help," Sakura whispered. But she knew she hadn't been prepared for Sasuke attacking them both so viciously. Maybe he really didn't care if he hurt her, but she couldn't let him and Pein fight. Especially since . . .

"Sasuke." Kakashi growled, gripping his katana tightly. Sakura noticed with a start that the copy nin's right eye was closed. It was clear that he was ready and prepared to fight his own student. Sasuke in turn glared daggers at Kakashi, who had again stepped between him and his target.

"Get out of my way, old man."

"Sasuke, disobedience like this will cost you from returning to shinobi status at all."

"None of that matters now! I have to get my revenge, Kakashi, one way or another. And if don't get out of my way, I'll have to make you."

"Sasuke, what are you saying?" Naruto took a step toward him. "You can't hurt Kakashi! We came here to get Sakura, remember?"

"I don't give a shit about Sakura!" he shouted. Naruto froze in his tracks.

"Don't you get it? The only thing I care about is getting rid of the man who took everything away from me! My home, my family . . . they're gone because of him. That's why I worked for years to find him, and when I finally did, that damn Sannin got there before I could finish him off. The only choice I had was to return to Konoha. I have to do what's right, and kill him once and for all."

Kakashi held Sasuke's gaze for a long moment before he spoke.

"I'm not strong enough to stop you with force, Sasuke, but if you continue to attack that man, I'll see that you're forever stripped of the status of shinobi."

Sasuke nodded. "I'll deal with the consequences."

The others watched, dumbfounded, as Kakashi stepped back. He sheathed his katana in testimony that he wouldn't fight.

"Naruto. Sai." he called, "This is not our fight. We're staying out of this, that's an order."

"Bu-but-" Naruto sputtered, "Sasuke, you can't do this!"

The Uchiha sneered back at him. "That simple status of shinobi may mean something to you, but it's just a word to me. I don't care what happens after this, as long as I see this man dead." He paused. "Don't bother to try and stop me, Naruto. We both know you don't have it in you to fight me again."

Naruto opened his mouth to shout back, but surprisingly decided against it. He turned instead to Kakashi.

He spoke softly now, subdued by the betrayal that surrounded him. "But what about Sakura?"

Kakashi paused. "Does she look like she needs help?"

Naruto looked at Sakura with pleading eyes, silently begging for a motion to join them. She turned away, grimacing with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm staying with Pein."

It broke her heart when he didn't respond. She heard the men step away from the clearing, and glanced back in time to see the worried, pitiful look that Naruto shot at Sasuke before he leapt away. Sasuke saw it and ignored him. In an instant, the three ANBU had left.

Sakura looked up at Pein for support, but his eyes were focused on Sasuke's. He didn't seem to be affected by the Sharingan in the least.

"Sasuke," she begged, "please, don't do this."

"You should go catch up with them, Sakura," he hissed, "There won't be a criminal to cling to in a few minutes."

"I'm not going anywhere," she snapped back. She mentally listed all the weapons she had hidden on her body at the moment. Four more kunai in her side pack, seventeen senbons tucked in the pack on her leg. No scrolls, no shuriken . . . was she really doing this? Preparing to go up against _Sasuke_?

In a flash, he tensed and disappeared. He was fast, Sakura noticed, as he appeared on a tree branch and dove towards them.

Pein ducked in time to miss the swing of his sword, and struck back with his kunai. He leapt down to the ground, Sasuke following behind. Their weapons loudly clinked as they met, and the men moved and struck quickly. Sakura watched awestruck as the air pulsated with deadly energy. Sasuke was fast, yes, but Pein was still stronger; she hoped that would be enough to win in the end. And even though Sasuke meant to kill him, she didn't want the boy to die. No matter how much of an ass he was.

"Pein!" she shouted, "Please don't kill him!" As she spoke, a shuriken was summoned and tossed towards her head. She dodged it just in time to miss a fatal blow.

Sakura's eyes met Pein's for just a second as he registered the fact that she wasn't hurt. In that moment, Sasuke dove forward, katana raised.Pein leapt away, but too slowly to prevent a nick of the sword to his leg. A strip of fabric tore from the wound, revealing a red stripe along his thigh.

Sakura realized then that she would be nothing but a hindrance to Pein in this fight. She had to leave before Sasuke figured out that Pein would –

Her throat was gripped tightly from behind by a strong hand. She couldn't breathe. Sasuke had appeared behind her, and as she had dreaded, he knew that Pein would do what he could to save her. Before she could raise her hands to fight back, Sasuke's arm crossed over her chest, and the katana's blade pointed straight at her heart. She froze.

Pein had stopped moving on a tree branch adjacent to theirs. His eyes were fierce as he accessed the situation. Sakura wanted to call out to him, maybe beg that he not do anything stupid like give himself up for her. But with the hand cutting off her air supply, and her mind growing dizzy, she barely had the energy to stand.

"Give up now or I'll kill her," she heard a voice say. Her limbs felt like heavy weights that were dragging her down. She had to breathe soon, or she'd die.

_Stay calm, princess_, Pein's voice said in her mind. She vaguely recognized it with the dull thudding sound in her ears, which must have been her heart slowing down.

Her lungs screamed for air. Her throat felt on fire. She wondered what was going on, between the men. There were voices from far off, but she couldn't make out what was being said.

_Please don't give up_, she begged weakly to Pein. She wasn't sure if he could hear her. His response came quickly.

_Sakura, when I say so, I want you to duck down as quickly as possible. Got it?_

Get down when he told her to . . . she could do that. _Yes. What about his sword?_

_I'll take care of it. Do you trust me?_

_Of course._

_Then . . . now!_

Sakura used every ounce of energy she had to force her body down against Sasuke's. At the same instant, she saw a torrent of water explode from Pein's direction, taking hold of the katana before the Uchiha had a chance to respond. He was thrown backwards from the force, his hand releasing Sakura's throat, and smashed straight through several trees before hitting the ground.

Sakura coughed, gasping for the air that her lungs craved. She clutched at her aching throat. As her vision began to clear, she saw Pein's feet land beside her.

"Are you alright, princess?"

"I'm sorry, Pein," she said hoarsely, "I didn't realize he'd attack me."

He touched her cheek affectionately. "Stay here. I'll draw him away."

He leapt away towards Sasuke, who had sprung to his feet again, dripping wet from the attack. Sakura couldn't help but glare at him, until she remembered how dangerous it was to look into his eyes. She settled her gaze on Pein as he watched a grumpy Sasuke picking up his katana.

Pein silently darted in the opposite direction, and, as expected, Sasuke immediately followed him. The forest was silent again.

Rubbing her throat, Sakura stopped to register the fact that Sasuke had just held his sword to her throat. She never pictured him being that ruthless. But still, Pein was stronger, right? He was more experienced; he had won more fights and killed more people than most shinobi in Konoha.

But Sasuke was the one who had almost beaten him before . . .

She bit her lip in concentration as she stared into the empty forest around her, unsure of what to do. She knew that following Pein could lead to him getting hurt because he'd protect her. But, she could always catch up with the men headed back to Konoha, and apologize again to Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi.

An explosion from far off suddenly shook the forest. Her mind was made, and she set off towards the cloud of rising dust.

x


	16. Chapter 16

Hehe. I always seem to make Sasuke out as the bad guy in my stories. He just plays the part really well! This chapter is long, but it's mostly the fight. And, I promise more romance will ensue. And, possibly a catfight. Oh, and I cheated a bit by sticking in a FMA quote. Ten bucks if you can find it! Not really.

As always, enjoy!

Xxx

**Chapter 16**

Xxx

To Kakashi and Sai, Naruto was unbearably quiet on the run back to Konoha. Both of them felt the loss of Sakura strongly, but they knew that Naruto was crushed. The boy didn't deserve such hardships. His pain was the cost that came so often with opening up to people the way he did - it was just another emotional obstacle he had to overcome on the path to his dream.

Their captain lead the trio swiftly, lost in his own thoughts. Sai chose to slow down as they leapt through the trees to keep pace with the cheerless blonde.

"Naruto . . ." started Sai, but he could think of nothing to say. He never had to cheer anyone up before; especially as he struggled himself with the emotions he felt.

Naruto looked gloomily over at his friend. "I – I just can't believe she's gone, Sai. Why does everyone leave me?"

Sai was silent for a moment.

"It's not your fault, Naruto. Sakura, like Sasuke, has to follow the path she believes is right for her. Neither of them meant to hurt you. And I'm sure it was hard for them to leave. But, if she has feelings for that man strong enough to pull her away from Konoha, and away from you . . . well, I can't pretend to understand it, but it's not up to us to hold her back. And, look on the bright side."

"The bright side?"

"Well, if we ever want to go looking for her, it won't be hard. We seem to run into Akatsuki during every mission."

Naruto barked a laugh, but it was obvious he was holding back tears.

"She'll be okay, right?" he asked shakily, "Did we do the right thing by leaving?"

Sai's warm, real smile was reassuring. "She'll be fine. That man will protect her with his life. And besides, Sakura's a smart girl. She wouldn't have left us for just anyone."

He was finally met with a faint grin by his friend.

"Yeah. You're right, she'll be ok. I - I just wish I could have told her . . . even if she can't come back to Konoha, I want her to know we'll always be friends."

"I'm sure she knows."

xxxxxxxxxx

The explosion that had drawn Sakura's attention filled the air with a blinding amount of dust that blocked out the sun. Beneath the cloud, two men stood on solid ground amidst bent and twisted trees, having jumped far enough away from the blast to escape injury. However, they both knew exactly where the other was, thanks to their gifted eyes and the huge chakra signatures that radiated from both bodies.

Sasuke had one knee on the ground, panting slightly from using his Katon jutsu. He cursed himself for missing his target, and rose to a haughty stance. He raised his arm to shield his precious eyes from the dirt floating around him.

"Well," he shouted angrily, "What are you waiting for?"

No answer.

He knew that Pein had heard him, and the fact that there was no retaliation made Sasuke furious. He was never one for patience, especially in battle. If the criminal wanted to hold back on his attacks, then Sasuke would just have to make his own quicker, harder, and more precise.

He rolled his head then started towards his opponent, forming an attack plan even as he broke into a run. His brow furrowed in concentration; he knew there was no room for mistakes this time around.

Pein, standing a few hundred yards away, had heard the other's taunt and made no response. His eyes followed where he knew the boy was, feeling the anger that pulsed through him, distracting him, making him impatient. It was likely the boy would make a mistake in his fury. Unfortunately, Pein himself had to worry about keeping the boy alive, due to Sakura's plead. It wasn't his style; a fight always ended with a kill for him. Disabling the boy without killing him would be exceedingly difficult, but he was determined to do it, for his princess's sake.

The cloud of dust was beginning to clear just in time for Sasuke to burst clear out of it, tossing low a cluster of shuriken just above the ground. Pein leapt up to dodge the stars, and met Sasuke midair with a clash of his kunai and Sasuke's katana.

A pulse of electricity shot up the sword and Pein watched, shocked, as the blade passed through his kunai and sliced deeply into his shoulder. They landed on the ground in that position. Pein twisted to give the boy a sharp kick in the side that sent him sprawling away, his katana pulling out of Pein's flesh in the process.

The Uchiha leapt up, licked his lips and smirked at his opponent, who was still clutching his shoulder. A visible trickle of blood began to seep down his left side. The blade had sliced right through the collar bone and another few inches deeper, ripped through the muscle and rendered the entire arm useless.

Pein, clearly panting but still showing no emotion, glanced down at the blood dripping down his torso from the wound. He heard Sasuke chuckle, and looked back up calmly.

"I know that wound is numb from electricity," the boy drawled, "And I apologize for that. I'd like to make this last fight for you as painful as possible."

Pein didn't respond, but watched Sasuke carefully through bright ringed eyes. He didn't expect to get hit so hard so soon . . . he had certainly underestimated the boy's abilities. Last time had been different; the last time, he had been caught off guard, and was already weak from a recent demon host transferal, and then, to be interrupted by a Sannin . . . it all seemed so coincidental that he never thought twice about how he was defeated. But this time should have been different. If only he had been able to reach his incubated bodies . . . but it was too late for that now. He would have to work with what he had.

_Pein, are you alright?,_ came the panicked voice of Konan.

He never understood how she always seemed to know when he was hurt.

_Please, _she begged, _let us fight for you!_

_No. You and the others stay where you are_. Closing his telepathic link so she could not respond, he snapped back to, and realized Sasuke was still talking.

"I want you to feel the pain," he was saying, "I want you to know what I felt when my family was taken from me."

Pein rolled his eyes at the boy's dramatic speech. "If I had known that Itachi had kept you alive," he said, "and that you'd grow to be such a thorn in my side, I would have killed you in the same house your traitor parents' bodies lay."

He knew that would set the boy off, and he jumped away from the sudden barrage of furious katana swipes. Growling in frustration, Sasuke followed Pein's movements, relentlessly charging at him again and again as they bounded sporadically through the forest.

Because of the thick boughs high above them, Sasuke didn't notice the darkening sky as black storm clouds rolled in. It wasn't until they reached a clearing in the trees that he stopped his attack and looked up, as the sun was blocked out completely, and a curtain of darkness and rain fell over them both.

Pein grunted as he stepped back against a tree and leaned heavily against it. His shoulder was bleeding profusely, and as the blood thinned from the downpour, his entire left side was tinted red.

xxxxxxxxx

Sakura's lungs were screaming for her to stop. She had been running faster than she thought possible towards the cloud of dust, but when she got there, the area was empty. The faint clanging of metal striking metal drew her away, but her targets were moving at an incredible rate.

She watched, horrified, as dark rain clouds began to accumulate ahead of her. The fight had moved far. Cursing under her breath, she pushed on harder, ignoring the pain in her legs as she closed in on the men.

xxxxxxx

It wasn't so much the wound that left Pein breathless, but the electric current that had run through him as the blade struck. _Damn electricity_, he thought vaguely, _my body always reacts badly to it._

He heard Sasuke chuckle as he watched the Akatsuki Leader struggle to remain standing. Pein's narrowed eyes followed the boy as he began to pace back and forth. He was taking his time, now that he'd thought he had won.

"Ha! I don't even need my Sharingan to defeat you. You're proving easier to kill than my brother was!" He sheathed his katana.

At this rate, Sasuke would attack whenever he wanted. But Pein was sick of stalling, and he knew exactly how to speed this up.

"Your brother was a magnificent fighter and a loyal soldier," he rebuked, "It's a disgrace that he was killed by a treacherous, narcissistic child like you. You aren't even worthy to share the same family name!"

Sasuke roared in anger and thrust out his hand. The air sizzled and crackled with chakra-induced electricity that gathered and swirled around it. His hair lifted from the static that formed a beautiful neon blue ball of energy in his palm.

"I'm ending this now!" he shouted, his Sharingan burning red. In an instant, he had rushed toward Pein, his arm arched forward to deliver the deadly blow.

The man leaned defenselessly against the tree, watching calmly through the rainfall as Sasuke quickly approached.

Neither of them noticed the wet pink haired kunoichi that landed nearby at that instant. Although the dark storm clouds that loomed above them made it difficult to make out what was going on, the surge of the Chidori's blue light allowed her to see – Pein, bleeding, standing, waiting, and Sasuke charging swiftly towards him.

She took in the scene in a split second and instinctively tensed, pushing all her remaining energy into a sprint towards them, to reach the point between the two. She had a moment of déjà vu as she remembered doing the same thing long ago, when Sasuke and Naruto fought on a rooftop. But now, as a taller, crueler, faster Sasuke neared his target, she wasn't so sure she could get there in time.

The screech of the Chidori was deafening as she skidded to a stop in front of Pein. She had a half second to see Sasuke's face shrouded in blue light and his blazing red eyes widen in surprise before her stomach felt like it had been ripped open with an unbearable burning pain that shot throughout her body. She could almost hear her stomach twisting apart. Shuddering, she held Sasuke's stunned gaze, her lips trembling while a slow stream of red trickled out. The sound of the Chidori lessened, sizzled, and silenced as the man took a slow step back. Gripping her stomach, she heard herself cough once, and dizzily raised a dripping red hand before her eyes.

Sakura's world slowed down around her. With a foggy vision she saw Sasuke's face, aggrieved, horrified. She felt herself falling backwards as her eyes closed of their own accord.

She was caught suddenly into someone's arms before she could hit the ground. For some reason, she could only focus on the fact that she hadn't been able to stop the fight. She had let Pein down, and he would surely be killed now. Just like last time between her teammates, just like every time, she could never seem to do anything right. She knew she was crying now, even though the pain was fading away to numbness. There was a dull recognition that warm liquid was running down her side, and that the air around her had grown cold.

"Sakura!" she heard someone's despaired voice call out from far away. A warm hand was placed on her stomach, and someone's head was cradled in the crook of her neck.

(A/N: I was so close to making that a cliffy – it would have been good and dramatic - but the thought of my readers chasing after me with pitchforks and torches made me change my mind . . .)

Xxxxxx

Sasuke staggered backwards, watching as the Leader of Akatsuki sat in the mud, shaking as he held Sakura in his arms.

Sakura. He had . . . he had killed her. He looked at her stomach, her organs visible, leaking into the puddle around them as it turned a dark crimson. His lifted his hand, and saw it dripping in her blood. He felt sick to his stomach.

_What will Naruto think of you now?_, came a small voice from inside him. For some reason, that thought angered him immensely. He would not be weak. He would not feel sorrow or guilt. Forget Sakura. Forget Naruto.

His face screwed up in fury as he worked himself up to attack. He had to kill that man, even if it meant doing it while he held his dying woman in his arms. The man deserved to die in the worst way possible, anyway.

Pein's head snapped up to glare at Sasuke, who stepped back in surprise. The look Pein shot at him was enough to send shivers up Sasuke's spine.

The rain began to fall harder. The deafening roar of thunder boomed overhead. Pein stood up slowly, gathering a sopping wet and limp Sakura in his arms.

A movement to his left caught his eye, and he quickly pulled out his sword again. It was another Akatsuki, a beautiful woman with bright blue hair. She paused, eyes wide, as she saw Pein walk towards her. He handed her Sakura's body and whispered something to her. The woman took the body and leapt away.

Pein slowly turned to Sasuke, with pure hatred in his ringed eyes. Sasuke swallowed hard, but shook off any fear he felt now. He had the man wounded. He had the advantage.

"You can't beat me," he called out, "You have no chance. Even with those advanced eyes of yours, you're nothing against my electricity."

Pein stood eerily still, despite the snarl in his voice. "Think so?"

"I know it. And," he pointed up towards the black clouds, "You think a little rain can stop me? Or will you try to hit me with my own element in a bolt of lightning?"

When Pein didn't answer, he could see frustration cross the Uchiha's face. But at his age, he wouldn't play along with the boy's cat and mouse game. He was far too experienced to waste time in such a manner.

"What's wrong, you monster? Can't you speak, now that Sakura can't beg for your life?"

Pein licked his lips and frowned, but remained silent. This infuriated Sasuke even more, and he lunged toward the man in a sprint, the katana aimed at his heart.

At that moment, the dark clouds began to churn and swirl violently. They formed a huge spiral, and as an eye formed at its center, a blinding ray of sunlight burst through, hitting Sasuke dead on. He froze mid-stride with his sword still out, eyes wide in shock. He couldn't move a muscle.

"What did you do to me?!" he shouted through frozen lips, but it only came out as grunts.

Pein stepped towards Sasuke slowly, struggling with his limp and bleeding shoulder.

"Poor Sasuke," he said very calmly as he walked, "You assumed that my power existed solely in water, didn't you? And in doing so, you forgot a very important rule of combat. When you think your enemy has a weakness, it becomes his strength."

He stopped right next to the boy, using his right hand to ghost over the tip of the outstretched katana.

"This is a newly developed technique. Beautiful, isn't it? All the chakra that I've pumped into those clouds, concentrated at the eye of the storm . . . nah, you don't want to hear the rest of it." As he bent down to look at the boy's face, still twisted in rage, he couldn't help but form a twisted smirk.

"Maybe if your senses weren't so blinded by anger, you would have seen it coming. But, you won't be making that mistake again, I'm sure." He pressed his kunai against Sasuke's side menacingly. _Now, to finish him off . . ._

He frowned suddenly, and took a step backwards, earning another furious grunt from Sasuke. It wasn't that he wanted to torment the boy in his paralyzed state, but Pein suddenly realized that he didn't know what to do with him now. For Sakura, he wouldn't kill Sasuke, so cutting his guts out was probably a bad idea. Simply beating him unconscious was definitely too light of a punishment. Maybe he could just . . .

He turned towards Sasuke with a grave, thoughtful expression on his face that gave Sasuke the urge to run. Pein lifted up the kunai and shook his head regrettably.

"I won't kill you, boy. But, I have to ensure that you won't come after me a third time. And I can't have you hurting my precious Sakura again."

More frantic grunting emitted from the boy as Pein delicately aimed the kunai.

"It was her who saved your life, Sasuke. Remember that."

Xxxxxxxxx

_What's going on? Am I alive?_

Sakura woke up feeling sick and feverish. A wave of exhaustion and nausea swept over her, but a warm, numbing sensation soothed her stomach where the pain used to be.

She opened her eyes with a soft groan. She was back in the Akatsuki lair, in one of the spare bedrooms. Leaning over her in the dark room, with a green-lit face, was Konan.

Sakura lifted her head slightly to watch as green medical chakra flowed from Konan's hands and around a sickening open wound in her side. Her shirt was off, exposing the deep hole and dried blood covering most of her torso.

_Thank the gods for numbing chakra_, she noted. The intense pain she had felt before was only a memory now.

Konan was frowning as she worked, and beads of sweat dripped down her brow. Her bright hair, usually pulled up tight, was messy and loose, sticking to her forehead. It was odd seeing the woman so unkempt and emotional. She looked over at Sakura with a strange glint in her eyes and her lips pursed.

"You should get some sleep," she whispered. She glanced at a spot near Sakura's head and returned to her work.

With some effort, Sakura turned her head to the side. Pein was sitting in a chair pulled up next to her bed, his sleeping face inches from her own. She admired him for a minute. He usually looked beautifully peaceful while asleep, but a worried look now graced his fatigued, pierced face.

"Pein," she whispered so softly her voice was hardly audible. Immediately his bright eyes opened, met hers, and widened. A wave of relief visibly washed over him.

"Sakura, you're alright."

She smiled back at his wide grin. "C'mon now. It takes more than a Chidori to kill me."

"That's my girl."

He leaned forward to give her lips a gentle kiss. "You know, I really thought I'd lost you . . ."

Sakura noticed then that his shoulder was covered in blood. Then she saw the deep gash that split right through his bone. His arm was hanging limp at his side.

"Pein! You're hurt!"

He glanced over at the wound. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Wh- I can see your bone! Shit, we've got to fit that– Konan, please help Pein now!"

The woman had stopped healing during their conversation, and looked anxiously over at Pein. "See? I told you she'd be fine. Let me help you now."

"Konan, we both know you don't have the skill to fully heal this, nor to mend the broken bones."

The sudden hurt, subdued look on her face wasn't lost on Sakura.

"Yes, Pein. You're right," she sighed. "Sakura, you have a few broken ribs I couldn't mend . . . I'm assuming you can fix them yourself once you're feeling better."

"Please continue healing Sakura."

"But Pein–" The two women started at once. They looked at each other uneasily.

"Her wound is still open and susceptible to infection," he replied calmly.

"I agreed to heal her first only because you ordered me to!" said Konan, on the verge of a shout, "Now she's awake and you've already passed out twice, and I won't have you dying just to make sure she's comfortable!"

The two stared at Konan for a minute, not sure how to respond to such a rare show of passion. The woman looked away and composed herself, tucking the loose strands of blue hair behind her ears.

"She's right, Pein," Sakura said slowly, "I won't let her heal me any more until you're better. In fact, I'm gonna help her heal you, as much as I can in this state."

Pein shook his head and chuckled. "Okay, Princess. You win. You two can heal me. But, don't exhaust yourself or I'll really be upset."

Konan nodded. "Thank you, Sakura," she said softly. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off Pein's shirt, while Sakura wincingly pulled herself to a sit on the edge of the bed. The two women called up green chakra to their hands and began to work.

Xxxx

End Chapter


	17. Chapter 17

A couple things first off:

- I just want to shout that Vampire Knights is now an anime!! I encourage everyone to read/watch it, it's amazing. - btw I plan on writing my next story as a crossover, with Vampire Knight setting, Naruto characters, and a Momo-chan storyline. Let me know if you're interested.

- I'm going on vacation soon for most of the summer . . . I'll try to write, or finish this ahead of time, but I have to apologize for the delay to come.

- seamy, congrats on finding the fma quote!!

i love you all for your support, and i'm so happy this story has made people like the couple - please review!

x

Chapter 17

x

That day was bright and cloudless in the village of Konoha. The streets were bustling as usual, and the last bits of repairs from the storm a few days ago were being finished.

Two Jounins sat lazily at their post just inside the enormous front gate to the town.

"Nice day, huh?" said one with spidery hair and a bandage strapped over his nose. His companion glanced over, visibly peeved despite the curtain of hair that covered half his face.

"Yea, sure, nice day . . . Aren't you even a little ticked that we've gotta miss that meeting today?"

The first shrugged.

"Izumo, that doesn't even concern us. The way I hear it, that Akatsuki group's compound has been found and targeted. It shouldn't be long before the Hokage's sent the best Jounin to finish them off. And seeing as we're not the best," he chuckled, "it's none of our business."

"Yea, well what about that pretty little medic that they kidnapped, the one that hangs out with Naruto? Any word on her?"

"None that I've heard. But . . ."

"What?"

"There are rumors going around that she went _with_ them. As in voluntarily."

Izumo frowned. "No way! A sweet little girl like that, leaving the village? You gotta be kidding me."

"Hey, that's just what I heard. And there might be something to the story . . . I mean, think about it. Akatsuki attacks the village directly, but we're not told why. Not a single person is killed in the attack. And then we made no retaliation! It doesn't add up."

Izumo was silent for a minute. He didn't like the thought of the Hokage lying to Konoha, and especially to her own Jounins, who she was supposed to trust.

Glancing absentmindedly out of the open gate, he stood up suddenly, making Kotetsu jump in surprise and hit his head on the wall behind him.

"What the hell, man?" Kotetsu asked, rubbing his head. But Izumo was staring down the wide dirt road that led away from the village.

"Are we expecting any visitors today?"

The man blinked and glanced down at a clipboard. "None today."

"Any Jounin unaccounted for?"

"No. Why?"

"Because that's definitely a ninja headed this way."

"What, really?" Kotetsu stood up and leaned over the post desk to see. Sure enough, there was the figure of a cloaked man walking towards them, with a katana strapped across his back and his hood covering his face.

"You recognize him?"

"How could I? Can't see his face."

The men walked out of their post and stood directly beneath the gate. As the stranger approached, the men tensed slightly, half expecting an attack. When he was a hundred meters or so away, Izumo held up his hand.

"Stop right there, please."

The man did. His hooded face was still cast down, so that the shadows allowed them no view of his identity.

"State your name and country of origin."

The man remained silent.

"We'll need to see some identification, Sir. If you are not a citizen of Konoha, we will confiscate your weapon. If you are not a citizen of the Fire Country, you will be questioned regarding the purpose of your journey here. If you do not comply –"

Both men stepped back as a powerful wave of angry chakra emitted from the man.

"Izumo. Kotetsu," he growled, "Let me pass."

"Hey – just who are you?"

The man slowly raised his head and pulled off the hood. The two Jounin gasped.

"U- Uchiha Sasuke!" Kotetsu yelled. "Izumo, get the Hokage!"

"No, I'll go to her myself," Sasuke said softly. "There's something I want to discuss with her."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Damn it, get a hold of yourself."

Deep in the dark underground lair of the Akatsuki hideout, a blue-haired kunoichi sat perched on the edge of an old wooden stool, poking at her dry cereal with a spoon. It wasn't the first time she regretted the fact that no electricity ran through the compound. No electricity meant no fridge. No fridge meant no milk. And no milk meant dry cereal, which always put her in a very bad mood.

But Konan's thoughts now rested on the newest source of her frustration, the pretty pinkette that Pein had brought home with him, like a stray cat. Only this little cat had run from her village for him, and now consumed all his time and his affections.

_Damn girl._

She took a big spoonful of her disgusting midnight meal and crunched loudly, frowning in her sullen state.

If only Pein hadn't been caught by those brutes in Konoha, he'd still be coming to _her_ once in a while for warmth. Now he had this new girl, who slept in his bed and walked around like she owned the place. Like she had any right to steal Pein from her.

"Pathetic, that's what you are . . ." she murmured, not even sure who she was referring to; she knew the girl was a weak, sheltered, wanna-be kunoichi, yet the only woman strong enough to be in Akatsuki was herself, and she was sulking like a dumped teen.

It wasn't as if Konan ever even had Pein's heart. She knew their understanding, and the only type of compassion that she thought he was capable of was physical, not emotional. But that girl had done something to him, something very unfamiliar to such a god. He hadn't even spoken about conquering the world since she arrived.

A chakra signature. Konan glanced at the empty doorway. It was that girl, probably roaming the halls lost again. She snorted at the girl's stupidity.

A pink head popped into the doorway. Konan ignored her and continued her meal.

"Konan?"

She sighed and glanced up. The girl was wearing a baggy black shirt, several sizes too big for her frame. It was probably Pein's, she mused, as she watched the girl enter and take a seat on the stool next to her. She didn't miss the small wince when the girl sat down. Pitiful.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. That wound won't fully heal for a few days."

A weak smile. "Yes, I know. I, uh, I just wanted to thank you for healing me yesterday. You saved my life."

Konan crunched some more, trying her best to look uninterested. Usually when she made that face, people stopped talking.

"I know that Pein told you to do it, but I still appreciate it. And, if there's anything I can do for you –"

"How about you let me finish my cereal in peace?"

Konan reveled in the surprised look on the girl's face.

Sakura bit her lip and looked at her feet sheepishly as her bright hair spilled down over her face.

"Konan . . . I don't want you to hate me."

The woman paused in her chewing and narrowed her eyes.

"I – I know you must hate me, since you and Pein, well, I guess I don't know what happened between you two. But I don't want you to see me as your rival or your enemy. We can be friends."

Konan calmly placed down her spoon.

"You're right," she snapped, "You don't know what's happened between us. But I can give you a hint. It's been almost fifteen years since Pein and I met, _fifteen years_, and we've been through a lot together. Don't offer me your friendship. Don't offer me your help. I'd never need the help of a weak girl like you, and neither would Pein."

The room was silent. Konan picked up her spoon again.

Sakura's fists clenched and she worked to keep calm. She wanted to gain the woman's respect, after all, so shouting would get her nowhere. "You call me weak. I may not be as strong as you all here, but I saved Pein's life when he fought with Sasuke yesterday - and that alone counts for more than anything you could say to me."

"It was your fault he was in danger in the first place! You told him to hold back, and he did, and look what almost happened to him."

"How do you know about that?"

"Akatsuki has its own eyes and ears," Konan snapped, "Zetsu told us what happened. It's near impossible to capture a ninja with that Uchiha's level of power, without killing him. You basically sent Pein to his death."

A sharp slap broke the silence.

Konan froze, the red imprint of Sakura's hand still stinging her cheek. Her eyes slowly met Sakura's with shock.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Sakura got to it first.

"Don't you dare insult me like that again, Konan. I would never hurt Pein, never, you hear me? Just because you're jealous that he loves me, and chose me over you, gives you no right to pretend I don't love him back."

Konan blinked back at her.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, either," Sakura said confidently. "If I wanted to, I could have knocked you out."

Konan licked her lips in thought. She hadn't anticipated being hit. Maybe this girl wasn't so weak after all? Only one way to find out.

"Sakura," she said deviously, regaining her posture on the stool, "How about we settle this like the kunoichi we are, not like school girls. A little sparring, maybe?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I'm not fighting you for Pein. That's ridiculous."

The woman laughed, a transformation that instantly made her seem beautiful. "No, no, I'm not that kind of person. I just wanna see if you're as capable as you think you are."

Sakura just looked at her skeptically.

"You _have_ been sparring with Pein, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, why not me? I want to see what you've got."

"But what about my stomach?"

"Hm. How about I give you two more days to recover. Then we'll fight."

Finally, the girl risked a smile. "Okay then, Konan. You know, this might actually be fun."

"Oh, definitely. I haven't beaten anyone to a pulp in weeks, I'm afraid I'm getting rusty."

Sakura smiled despite the insult. The woman was warming up to her. Was that all it took, a little slap, to get her attention? But maybe strength was the only thing she knew how to respond to.

"I should let you know, it's gonna take more than a few origami flowers to take me down."

"Oh? I was under the impression that a mere paper cut would knock you unconscious."

Sakura laughed. "You know, you and Pein have the same sense of humor."

Konan's face fell at the name.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean-"

"You should get some sleep, Sakura. Go to bed before you aggravate the wound."

Sakura began to speak, but then thought better of it. _Small steps_, she told herself. _You can't be her best friend overnight._

"Goodnight, Konan." Sakura left the room quietly. But she smiled slightly as she walked away. Konan had never opened up to her like that before. Every time she had seen the woman since she got to the hideout, Konan had been cold, silent and emotionless. Sakura knew she wasn't welcome by that demeanor.

But then . . . that was the way Pein had been too, when Sakura first met him. Interesting. The two were more alike than she realized. That meant that, with time, Konan would most likely accept her friendship. After all, Sakura had no intention of living with Konan like a scorned ex living with the man's new mistress. And if a little fighting was her the only way of bonding with the woman, then so be it.

xxxxxxxxx

Naruto and Sai sat anxiously just outside the Hokage's office, waiting for her to finish speaking with the elders of the village. The meeting held with the top dozen or so Jounins, the village elders, several battle strategists, Ibiki, and Tsunade had been very long and very official. After four hours of debating the pros and cons of launching a legitimate attack on the Rain Country (the costs, retaliation, politics, casualties, threats, and so on), the elders decided to end that meeting to speak with the Hokage alone in her office.

The boys had gone to their homes, showered, changed, and raced back, but the Hokage and the others were holding their third straight hour in conference. The two weren't the only ones waiting, either. Almost every Jounin in the village had congregated in or around the tower, waiting for the final decision.

Sai glanced over at his teammate with interest. Naruto had been gazing out the window for the past twenty minutes, and was absentmindedly twisting the green jewel on his necklace. Eventually, he wound the leather necklace so tight that he began to choke, and he quickly pulled it loose.

Sai laughed lightly. "Calm down, Naruto. Worrying won't make this any easier."

The boy sighed. "I know, I know. It's just . . . this war might really happen. You heard the elders; they don't want to risk the Rain attacking us again."

"But the Hokage pointed out that it was Akatsuki, not the country, that did it."

"Still . . ."

"You're thinking about Sakura."

"Of course," he said bitterly. Sai had a way of reading Naruto like no one else could. "What if she wants to defend them? She might fight us for that guy."

Sai sighed and leaned his head back against the wall behind them. "I don't know what she'll do. At least when Sasuke was our opponent, we knew where he stood."

Naruto's face lit up. "Do you think we can bring her back, too?"

His friend looked away, hating to have to bring him back to reality. "No, I don't think we can do it this time, Naruto. When Sasuke left, it had been for temporary reasons; hate, and revenge. Sakura left for love . . . I don't think we can come between that. And if we tried to force her back, she'd probably end up hating us for it."

Naruto was silent for a minute.

"Oh hey, there's Hinata. Hey Hina!" he called out the window. The Hyuuga princess looked up from the courtyard with her teammates and waved.

Naruto leapt out the window to land beside her, and gave her a big bear hug. She squeaked in surprise and let him finally pull away.

Sai landed gracefully beside them, and nodded a hello to Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.

Akamaru padded up and barked a greeting to the boys.

"We got called back from our mission this morning," said Kiba, patting his dog's head. "But we haven't heard any word on what's going on since then. Have they made a decision?"

Sai shook his head.

"Damn, rough stuff," Kiba huffed, "I mean, if we gotta go to war again . . . a lot of people are gonna die."

"Easy now, Kiba," said Shino, "Let's not get all morbid before we even know their verdict."

"Look who's talking. I just wish they would just tell us what's happening, at any rate. I mean, one day, out of nowhere, Akatsuki straight up smashes through the village, and then the Hokage tells us we've had their leader for a week? And this thing with Sakura sounds completely made up."

Sai glanced at Naruto, who suddenly seemed very interested in playing with Hinata's hair.

"Ah, no," Sai said, "It's the truth. We were on a mission to track her down, and we found her yesterday. She's with Akatsuki now, voluntarily."

"Oh," Hinata gasped, "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Naruto said. "She's more than fine. She's happy with where she is."

The others watched him force a smile.

"I – I heard that Ino hasn't been outside for days," she stuttered.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a shock for us, too."

"Hey – where's Sasuke?" Kiba said suddenly. He looked around, as if to see him standing behind someone.

Sai frowned. "He's –"

"Oh, there he is," Kiba pointed.

Naruto and Sai whirled around to see the crowd of shinobi parting to make room for a young man cloaked in black. Although his face was cast down, the tufts of black hair, the katana and his walk made it clear to them who he was.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, running towards him.

The boy stopped. He raised his face towards Naruto.

Naruto skidded to a stop, his mouth agape. He took a step back.

"Shit," he whispered.

The entire area was quiet, staring at the last of the Uchihas with his face covered in dried blood. Over his eyes, he had wrapped a white bandage that was stained dark red exactly where his eyes should have been. It was obvious that they were gone.

"S – Sasuke . . ." Naruto said softly. He raised a hand to him.

The boy silently turned his blind and beaten face back towards the Hokage's tower and continued walking. With incredible ease, he climbed the steps, threw open the door, and disappeared inside.

Naruto, and everyone around him, stared at the door for a minute in shock.

"Sai," Naruto said, "C'mon."

The two leapt back up the window they had come down from in time to see Sasuke pulling open the door to the Hokage's office, where she was still in meeting with the elders.

All those in the office looked over as he stepped inside, not noticing the two curious heads that peeked in behind him.

"Sasuke what is the mean –" Tsunade's eyes widened for a second. Then, "I see. The leader of Akatsuki let you live, but at such a price."

"Tell me, Hokage," Sasuke snarled. "Do you know the truth about my clan? Is it true they were ordered to be killed for planning an uprising?"

Tsunade paused. "This isn't the time for this, Sasuke. We're holding a war conference. You have to go."

"Tell me now!" he shouted, "Did they or did they not plan to attack the village?!"

She was silent for a moment.

"They did. They would have wiped out the village, had the Third not found a way to stop them."

Sasuke shouted and threw a punch at the wall, shaking the room and leaving a large hole in the plaster.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Restrain yourself!"

The boy stood fuming, but held himself back.

"I don't want to hear that name again," he said quietly. "I have no family. I have no Sharingan, no Bloodline Limit, no ties between me and those people. I am no longer an Uchiha."

He turned and walked out, brushing past a shocked Naruto and Sai.

"Such a troublemaker, that one," said the old voice of an elder.

"Indeed. It is a pity about those eyes being gone, though. They would have helped in battle," said another.

"We have to take it into account that Akatsuki left him alive, though."

"That doesn't mean a thing . . ."

"Naruto, Sai," Tsunade suddenly barked. The boys were still in the open doorway, gaping as Sasuke left.

"Yes, ma'am!" they said in union.

Her eye twitched in anger. "Close the door, please. And follow Sasuke. Make sure he's stable."

"Yes, ma'am."

As the door closed behind them, Tsunade put her head in her hands. It wasn't just the massive headache that came from talks of war, nor the fact that she couldn't drink sake in front of the elders. It wasn't even Sasuke's condition – she knew he could be comforted by Naruto's and Sai's support. She was legitimately concerned about her favored pupil, Sakura, and her crucial position at the moment.

"It's not as though they attacked without purpose," one elder was saying, "The fact that we held their leader provoked them. Yet it makes us look weak that we didn't take the chance to kill him."

"We've put this off for too long!" shouted another, "Akatsuki has always been a treacherous neighbor and have been spotted in the country many times, and even in Konoha once before. We have to strike first!"

"No," Tsunade said suddenly, standing up. "I know the horrors of war, and of losing shinobi too young to die. I will do everything in my power to prevent that kind of death. Starting a war is the last thing I want to do – this meeting is over."

The elders looked at each other. Finally, a few nodded.

"It is a wise decision," said one. "But, what about the threat?"

The Hokage smiled. "My most trusted protégé is among them now. There isn't a doubt in my mind that Sakura would never allow them to attack us."

"Trusted? That girl is a traitor!"

"That may be, but we know why she left, and her decision cost no one harm. She made a decision that we don't agree with, but in such a serious matter as war, she'll do the right thing. I have absolute faith in her."

x


	18. Chapter 18

. . . Ok, I know this chapter is ridiculously late in coming. (Please don't hate me!) My only excuse is that, against all my better judgment, I picked up _Twilight_, and couldn't stop reading until I finished the whole lot of them. Damn good books, but they distracted me like I knew they would. But thank you all for being so patient, and loyal, and I promise that the next one will not take so long. I hope you enjoy!

x

Chapter 18

x

Sakura's life had finally begun to settle in the days following that midnight talk with Konan. She knew her way around the underground lair perfectly and now sometimes spent afternoons outside, where she would wander for a bit to get familiar with the area surrounding her new home. The Land of Rain wasn't an unattractive country, she decided, even though she would miss the sun-drenched days and tall oaks of Konoha.

Reaching thin arms gracefully above her head, Sakura inhaled deeply and stretched tall. She waited for a small stitch to form at her waist before releasing with a sharp breath. The pain in her side was about gone now and she was feeling almost as good as ever. Today was one of those rare, "nice" days of the Rain country, when the full sky wasn't pouring. She planned on enjoying the sunlight while outside sparring, but standing on the lip of a nearby cliff that overlooked her new country for miles, she could see that the sun wouldn't be making any appearance today. Clouds painted the sky murky gray as far as the eye could see.

She turned her face up to the heavens, wishing for even a single ray of sunshine to sneak through the clouds and warm her cool skin. Instead, a chilled breeze washed over her body, making her shiver. She looked out over the landscape of forests, fields and towns, while unconsciously facing the direction that she knew led to her old home.

With a sudden gust of wind, a strong and familiar presence was at her back. Her eyes traveled down to the arm that had found its way around her waist. She smiled at the soft kiss on her neck.

In complete comfort, she leaned into the warm body behind her. Her old memories of Konoha didn't seem quite so wonderful whenever _he_ was around her. After all, as cheesy as it sounded, her life there wasn't really complete without him.

"Here you are," Pein said, "I've been looking for you".

His head nuzzled in the crook of her neck, his warm breath overwhelming her desire to feel the sun. She laughed as his bristly cheek tickled her skin.

"Here I am," she smiled, turning to plant a kiss on his lips. It was amazing how, every time she kissed him, her legs still got weak and her fingers would tingle. He turned her around to face him, his arms holding her tight as her own wrapped around his sides.

She didn't want to stop for breath. With him, she hardly felt the need for air. As a hand rose to touch her neck gently, and his fingers threaded into her hair, she felt herself intensify the kiss as she pulled his increasingly warm body back to her. It was hard to control her desires around him, sometimes even too hard to manage, and it was never long before they would end up back in his bedroom.

Her hand rose to wrap around his neck, but she needed no extra force to keep those delicious lips on hers. She savored the taste of his kiss, the feel of his arms around her, the strange feel of his piercings against her skin.

Suddenly her legs were swept out from under her, as Pein wrapped them around his hips. Her back was suddenly to a tree, and his kisses were traveling down her jaw to her sensitive neck.

"Gods," he mumbled between kisses, "I miss you so much when I'm working."

He was referring to his most recent of several short meetings in the past few days, with either his own Akatsuki members, or some other shady characters. He tended to be very fervent afterwards.

"There I am, trying to concentrate on business, or paperwork, trying to run a country, and all I can think about are those soft lips," he touched them with his fingertips, "these long legs," his hand, teasingly slow, ran up her thighs, and he met her eyes, "and that devastatingly beautiful face."

She blushed and looked away.

"I don't mean to distract you," she said, trying to sound guilty while her heart was pounding so rapidly. She rested her hands on his chest and slid them up to his face, pulling him in for another fierce kiss. He groaned and pulled away.

"That reminds me. We'll have to continue this another time."

He set her down gently, and Sakura had to catch her breath for a moment before she could stand on her own again.

"Oh yeah. I thought you were inside. Were you looking for me?"

"Kisame and Tobi are going at it again. I swear sometimes I feel like I'm watching children. They're completely useless . . . You know, I think you're the only thing that's keeping me sane in this madhouse."

"Oh?" she smirked, finger to her forehead, "But I think I'm as crazy as the rest. Better watch out for me."

He pulled back, feigning shock. "No, not my Sakura! She's as sensible as a sage."

"Sure, sure, she only left her pretty little village for a criminal with a superiority complex! – don't give me that look, you're nuts too, you know."

"Hey, if you were called a god by an entire country, we'd see if that wouldn't go to _your_ head."

"Hm. Give me a few days, I'll see what I can do about that."

He laughed warmly, and she knew she'd never get tired of hearing the sound. He rested his forehead on hers, his voice suddenly soft.

"What did I do without you, princess?" His sincerity caught her off guard.

Sakura looked into his kind eyes and melted just a bit. It wasn't hard to picture Pein the way he was before her, the way he was when she first laid eyes on him. It wasn't so long ago that she first discovered him, laying on that medical table, a strange man broken and isolated. But he had been so calm and so kind to her, from the very beginning. She wondered how much of the Pein she knew was already there, and how much, if any, she had changed him.

"You were probably better off than I was. You had a purpose in life. Back in Konoha, I don't know how I got by sometimes. Home, hospital, training, repeat; my life was so . . ."

"Boring?"

"Mm. Boring. But you wouldn't know anything about that."

He shrugged. "Hey, in my line of work, you don't have the luxury of a boring life. You'll get used to it too, you know."

Although she smiled in return, Sakura called to mind how true his statement was. His life was so much different than hers, and in the past few days she had begun to worry exceedingly over what their future would hold. After all, things couldn't remain like this forever. The honeymoon would have to end, and real life would begin. That mean several things – she would have to get used to living the life of an outcast, where anyone she met might be an assassin, and where any step she took could threaten the safety of their hideout. Also, she couldn't expect Pein to be content with staying there with her. He had done so much with his life, gone so far to achieve something greater than himself, and what, did she expect him to give it all up for her? The killing, the crimes, the capturing of bijuu's . . . her mind couldn't fathom where they were headed from here.

"Something wrong, princess?"

"Ah – no! Nothing's wrong."

Her quick answer earned her a concerned look from her partner.

"Please tell me. I don't want to see you upset."

Keeping her head on his chest, so that he couldn't see her face, she wanted to be sincere. But the last thing she wanted to do was to ask that inevitable question, the one that would bring her crashing down to reality.

_What happens to us now?_

She decided a small lie might be easier to handle than the truth. The truth could hurt too much right now.

"It's nothing, really. Just a bit of homesickness."

He paused. "So. You miss Konoha that much? Are you . . . unhappy here?"

Sakura flinched at the hurt in his tone. She silently scolded herself for it. She didn't want him to think she regretted her decision, which could not be farther from the truth.

"I don't miss it too much," she said softly as she leaned back to look at him. He smiled and touched her cheek.

"Glad to hear it. Now, I have some bad news."

"Don't tell me. You've fallen madly in love with a girl from the Sound. You want to steal away with her before she finds out who you really are."

His sweet laugh still put butterflies in her stomach.

"I have to leave for a few days, to deal with some business in the Waterfall Country."

Her face fell at his words. It seemed that her worries were already taking form.

"Please don't be upset, Sakura," Pein said, "It'll only be a few days, and it's something that has to be dealt with. I've been inactive long enough for some people to think I'm still incapacitated. A few subordinates in the Waterfall have been acting up without my permission . . . I don't want to bore you with the details. But you'll be fine here. The others will take care of you, I made sure of it."

"It's not that," she began, "I'm worried about you, not me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Worried about me? Sakura, you know I can handle myself well enough on my own. Especially from those idiots I have to work with."

She sighed in defeat. Half of her wanted to beg him to stay, to pretend that she was afraid of getting attacked, or that she'd miss him too much to let him leave. But she knew that was juvenile to act like that. Yes, she'd miss him, and yes, she was a bit worried about staying with the other Akatsuki members, but she was more concerned with what he would do once he was gone.

She didn't know if she could live with herself if he remained a killer. She didn't want to let herself love a man who would speak so nonchalantly about his evil business. But then, that's what she signed up for the moment she left with him. She had always been a good person before, she worked hard at the hospital; she saved lives! It just wasn't logical that she would fall for a killer . . . but she had. And after all, when you love someone, logic doesn't really apply anymore. It had been too easy to choose her path, but now staying on it might end up being the hardest part.

She looked into his bright eyes, which searched hers for some answer or support. Maybe he wasn't going to kill after all. Maybe he was actually just doing business like he said, and he wasn't planning on hurting anyone. That sounded better. She would force herself to trust him in this. It would hurt him if she didn't.

"Go ahead, then," she said, trying not to sound bitter. "But be careful, okay?"

Pein seemed relieved at her approval. "I will, sweetie. I'll be back before you know it." He kissed her forehead and took off into the trees.

Staring off into the distance, she added_, And please don't do anything that'll make me regret my decision._

She bit her lip in thought. Was Pein really going to resume his life's work? She found that she was afraid of what the answer might be, afraid that she would be forced to accept something as terrible as what he was capable of. What would that make her, if she allowed him to carry on that work that had earned him the infamy of being an S-class criminal? She would become as responsible for what he did as he was himself. But the funny thing was, she couldn't bring herself to decide that she would leave him if he was still a killer. She wasn't being rational, and she knew it. But, once you're in love, you tend to not think logically about a person, anyway.

The sun was just beginning to set when Sakura headed back to the hideout entrance. She started to make the seal to get inside, when a flash of blue to her left caught her off guard. She leapt back and crouched, kunai out, in one fluid motion. But it was only Konan, leaning against a boulder with an amused look on her face.

"You look healthy," she commented, pushing herself off the rock to walk towards her. "In the mood for some training?"

Sakura smirked and stuck up her chin a bit. A bit of action would definitely take a load off her mind.

"Always am. I was starting to get bored, anyway."

Konan nodded and immediately her body began to twitch and shake, before splitting into thousands of little paper butterflies. They gathered and swarmed around her, cutting short her vision and causing enough wind to whip her hair around her. Sakura licked her lips and waited patiently for the first strike.

In one fluid motion, the butterflies behind her dove. Sakura spun to the side and leapt up the tunnel of origami. Midair she twisted and threw down several tagged kunai. They hit the swarm just as it was rising to meet her and exploded, giving her enough time to hit the ground and get a few more yards between them.

She watched the cloud of fluttering white recover from the blasts, as her mind raced for a way to carry out her plan. She knew how to beat this crazy jutsu, but it was still going to be difficult.

The swarm rose into the sky and expanded, filling the air above her with the loud and incessant beating of a thousand wings. Another section of the swarm broke off and came towards her. She took a deep breath and put her hands together in a seal. Instantly, she reappeared in the boughs of a tree while a clone remained to dodge the attack.

But she was spotted. The nearest clump of butterflies flew down, leaving Sakura with no choice but to leap to the ground. But the swarm was fast. The papers met her mid air and attached themselves to her, covering her torso and gluing her arms to her sides. Sakura shouted in frustration as hundreds more wrapped around her, and all the rest followed, before her body disappeared with a small _poof_.

Meanwhile, the 'clone' Sakura had pulled out a scroll, and with a bite of her thumb, smeared it on the paper and made a seal. A large gray object sprang out before her, and spreading out as it flew, the net landed directly on the large mass of origami creatures. The mesh was tight, and the little paper pieces flapped furiously against it in vain.

Sakura kept her distance as she watched the mass simultaneously pause, and then form a giant blade that ripped through the net.

"Damn," Sakura whispered. She hoped that move might have ended it. Instead, the swarm remained mashed together and shifted into a large four legged creature, something Sakura didn't recognize. It had thick legs and a long muzzle, which was covered in papery spikes. Without warning, it charged towards her.

She jumped left into the trees to avoid it, but glanced behind her to see the creature's legs grown and thin, and the animal was now a sort of monkey, that swung over the branches after her. Not intending this fight to be a game of cat-and-mouse, Sakura made a few clones of herself and headed back towards the clearing. She sent her doubles out into different directions, and realized that Konan's creature was now splitting into four smaller animals, one chasing each 'Sakura'.

The real one reached the clearing and hit the ground lightly before bounding towards the nearest boulder. But before she could reach it, a large origami hawk flew over her head and turned to dive at her. She didn't respond quickly enough, and the bird's beak struck her left shoulder. It tore a deep gash down her arm to her elbow, splattering it with her blood. Sakura fell on her side with a shout and clutched her arm painfully.

She had no idea Konan would take their training this far. This was no sparring, this was an actual fight! She gritted her teeth as she examined the wound, knowing full well that she was far too vulnerable. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that several white blurs gathered together, merging into the blue haired kunoichi with an apathetic face.

"Aw, Sakura, did you get a little cut?" she cooed condescendingly, "You know, you're not very good at this. And if such a scratch will completely disarm you like that, I'm not sure what use you'd be with us."

Sakura worked to hide the pain as she held the open skin together with one hand. She wanted to heal it as soon as possible, knowing that leaving it open could result in loosing a dangerous amount of blood. But, first things first. And she would _not_ let this wound cost her such a meaningful match. Without Konan's respect, she would never fit in with Akatsuki.Releasing her blood stained hand from the gash, she pulled out several shuriken and tossed them at Konan. The woman easily caught them in the fingers of one hand, not taking her focus off the girl. She frowned down at her.

"I really thought you had a little more life in you than this, Sakura. I'm disappointed Pein put his efforts into so weak a person."

She threw the weapons back, and Sakura evaded them, but not without sending sharp spikes of pain all up her left side.

"I'm not weak," Sakura said firmly. "I'll show you how strong I am."

She looked pointedly at the sky.

Her opponent glanced up to see dark clouds gathering swiftly above them. But if she was surprised, she didn't show it. Instead, she laughed and moved gracefully into a dancer's spin. She whirled faster and faster, and then she was no longer a spinning woman but a small tornado of butterflies.

A loud peel of thunder made the tornado quiver suddenly. And with that sound came a hard sheet of rain. It covered the swarm and dampened it immediately. The wet butterflies plummeted to the ground, collecting in soft piles and slowly building up to form a very irate Akatsuki member.

She held a hand up to catch the rain, and frowned over at Sakura.

"What is this now? This is Pein's doing, isn't it - You have him fighting for you! I should have known you couldn't beat me by yourself, girl."

Sakura grinned back, and the rain stopped. She leapt up and burst into a thousand pieces herself. These little origami butterflies were orange and speckled black, and twirled around Konan, teasingly staying out of range of her furious swatting. Now the woman let some confusion mark her perfect features.

"What's going on?" she shouted, and then an invisible force knocked her to the ground.

Sakura froze, on her knees and straddling her opponent's waist. One bleeding arm hung limp at her side, but the other held a kunai inches from Konan's throat. Both women panted loudly as Sakura waited to Konan to comprehend what happened. Sakura resisted the urge to brush away the slick strands of hair sticking to her forehead, and ignored the tickling of blood seeping down her arm. But she did allow herself a smile as realization finally crossed the woman's face. It then gave way to appreciation.

"Well, Sakura," she said, "I'm impressed. I never would have thought it was just an act."

"How'd you figure it out?"

Konan blew a puff of blue hair out of her face. "I'm not even damp."

"Have I won then?"

Konan winced, and nodded slowly.

"Good," Sakura grinned as she hopped to the side, feeling all the adrenaline in her system drain away to leave a satisfying sense of victory. However, that meant that the pain in her arm was just beginning to reach its full potential.

"I had no idea you could use genjitsu," Konan said grudgingly, picking herself up off the ground. She checked herself just to double check that she was actually dry.

"I've always had a talent for it," she said, finally calling her healing chakra to her hand as she spoke, "And Kisame mentioned that you got angry when you got wet. I figured there was a good chance it would disarm you. And speaking of arms . . ."

Konan shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to apologize. Maybe I went overboard, but you have to expect this sort of thing when you're up against ninjas of our level. Besides," she added lightly, "it is only a paper cut, after all."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You're lucky I'm busy right now or I'd _really_ end the fight."

She expected a sharp retort, but Konan was suddenly kneeling down next to her.

"Let me help you, at least." The woman's own hands lit in green. Together, they healed the wound with ease.

Back in the hideout, Kisame and Tobi were playing a game of shougi while enjoying some sake. The game was slow, and Tobi was definitely winning.

"I don't know how you manage to think up these moves," Kisame grumbled as Tobi happily took another piece off the board. "I swear, if you just put as much effort into fighting as you do playing board games, it'd make our job a lot easier."

Zetsu appeared from the wall and stood to watch the game.

"Move. You're in my light." Kisame grumbled, pushing his knight further up the board.

"You'll never guess who's fighting outside," Zestu said, ignoring Kisame. His darker side answered for him. "_Konan and the girl_."

Tobi hand paused over the board for a split second before he placed another piece down.

"Tobi likes the new girl," he said cheerfully. "Why are they fighting?"

Zetsu shrugged. "'Hell if I know. _I hope one of them dies. I'm getting hungry_."

"Maybe we should go watch," Kisame mumbled. "I didn't think they'd be trying to kill each other so soon. I'd have given it a couple more days, at least."

"I want to finish our game," Tobi whined. "Zetsu, you go watch and tell us who won. Kisame and I aren't done yet."

Zetsu nodded and left. Kisame was silent, but he remembered how funny it was that Tobi got bossy whenever Pein was away. It was odd, really . . .

Tobi tapped his rook into place.

"Checkmate."

Xxxx

_Thwack. Thwack_.

Sasuke raised his arm and flicked another shuriken at his target, the trunk of an old oak tree some 100 meters away. The weapon embedded deep in the bark, perfectly aligned with the others.

The boy rolled his shoulder and leaned against the trunk behind him. It wasn't exhaustion that had him slouched and sighing; it was sheer boredom. Days after he had returned from his fight with Pein and renounced his heritage, Sasuke had found that a life in Konoha without missions was a dry and boring one. Although he had to begin training over again in a different style, without his eyesight, it all seemed meaningless without a purpose to fulfill. He didn't need his eyes to see that there was no point in trying to find Pein again, now that he knew his family had taken treachery to a new level. If only Itachi had told him then . . .

Sasuke was still deep in thoughts of the past when he felt the presence of his friends nearby.

_My friends_, he thought_, how long has it been since I had friends?_

A series of footsteps told him the group was approaching fast. Sasuke walked around the trees and towards them, for despite loosing his eyes, he had an uncanny ability to sense what was around him. It might have been all his natural ability as a Sharingan user, or the years of training as a shinobi. Whatever the reason, Sasuke was unlikely to ever need the help of a stick or dog – not that his pride would have ever allowed it.

"Oy, Sasuke!" called Naruto, followed by Hinata, Sai, Ino, and Kiba. The five of them had been working especially hard to make Sasuke feel more comfortable back in Konoha.

"Whatcha doin' out here?" Kiba asked, while he peered over the boy's shoulder to see the targeted tree.

"Damn, Sasuke! You're really improving!"

He shrugged. "I'm nowhere near where I was."

"I'm sure you'll catch up easily enough," replied Ino. He could hear the smile in her voice, and forced a small grin in her direction.

"I guess so."

"Do you want to train with us a bit, Sasuke? You must be bored to death out here by yourself."

"You have no idea."

Ino laughed, looking at Sasuke just the way she used to before he left. She wasn't fazed by his new 'look', with his hitae-ate pulled down around his face, in a style similar to Kakashi's. It hid the gruesome fact that those eyes were gone, and could even be seen as a distinct battle-wound to the otherwise handsome boy.

Hinata hid a smile of her own, watching the two together. Naruto, Sai and Kiba were, of course, too oblivious to notice the growing attraction between them. Ino had been ecstatic over the return of her childhood crush, and was more than happy to welcome him back home. Sasuke, in turn, seemed to need a personal crutch to recover, and took to Ino's kindness very well. He was even developing a sense of humor.

"You all better not go easy on me, got it?" Sasuke pulled out his katana and moved to a fighting stance.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Sai, pulling out his sword. The others drew out some weapons as well.

"Just like old times!" Naruto said with a smile. The six of them shot off in various directions up into the trees.

For the next hour, they sparred and chased each other through the forest, pulling out every ounce of adrenaline and ridding themselves of exhaustion by sheer will. Training always served as a true stress-release for any young shinobi, and was always a welcome escape from life. Naruto in particular usually went all out while sparring, but never in an unfriendly way. And finally, as usual, he had pushed himself too hard too quickly, and eventually found that he needed a break. He slowed to catch his breath and check his surroundings.

Although everyone had suppressed their chakra for training, he got the feeling that he had run too far from the others. Pausing among the tree boughs, he plopped down on a branch with his legs dangling over the edge.

He smiled to himself as he whirled a kunai around his finger. Things were finally starting to look up again. Sure, Sakura had left, but it was in such a different way, for such a different reason, that it could hardly be compared to what Sasuke did. She was happy. And Sasuke was home now! He had been humbled by the loss of his bloodline's power, and now . . . Naruto chuckled. His friend was cured of his asshole-ness, too, it seemed.

A voice from below caught his attention. Curiosity got the best of him and he stealthily followed it.

Perched behind a thick trunk, he peered to the ground to see two village elders walking together.

". . . whether or not she would find out," one was saying. "It's not as though we've had it announced across the world."

"But we might as well have! Not only are three more countries implicated in this, but once the group is found, there will be no way to hide our own involvement."

"Who would blame us for concerning ourselves in these affairs? The life of one girl, weighed against the safety of all . . ."

Naruto hesitated. What were they talking about, safety of all? What girl? They couldn't mean . . . Sakura?

"I just hope the Hokage would see it that way, once she discovers her 'trusted apprentice' was killed like the traitor she is, alongside the garbage known as Akatsuki."

Naruto's mouth dropped.

_Kill . . . Sakura? They're gonna have her killed? But Tsunade said it was over . . . _

He at least had enough sense to continue listening.

"But the consequences of her anger make me cringe."

"Don't you get cold feet now! You yourself helped write those letters with the rest, pleading for help from the Rock, Mist, and Grass."

"Don't get so alarmed, I'm not going to say a word. All I'm saying is, once Tsunade finds out, which she will, that the elders had the entire group killed . . . I just hope that woman has the wisdom to remember that this is all for the village's safety."

Naruto stopped following the pair of elders. He felt dizzy, nauseous. They were going to have Sakura killed – no, they already put a hit out on her! How long would it be until she was attacked? How much time did she have – Naruto knew what he had to do. Forget it, if those old bastards would get angry. He had to get the others.

Shit! He had no idea where they were! And in the time it would take to find them, she might get killed!

"_Kage bunshin no jutsu_!"

He sent the clones to find the others and took off west, hoping like hell that he could run the vast distance in time enough to save her.

Xxxx

Dun-Dun-Dun . . . Sigh. I didn't mean to end the chapter like this. But, the next one will most likely be the last, and I have to make sure everything is put into place for me to end it the right way. Tell me what you think of it, please! Thank you, my lovely readers!!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Naruto ran as fast as his limbs would carry him, frantically pouncing across the forest branches with one name racing through his mind - _Sakura_. He had to help her; he had to get to her in time before the ANBU could finish her off . . . Although he wasn't sure what how he could stop shinobi from his own village without appearing to be an fugitive himself. Maybe if he told them he was under orders to cancel the mission, they would return? No, that wouldn't work. ANBU were trained not to quit a mission until ordered via messenger bird by the very person who sent them. And as for fighting them . . . he hated the idea of it. These ANBU were his peers, his comrades, his friends. He wasn't worried about getting hurt, but of hurting them. It might prove to be his only option.

He didn't notice when it began to drizzle, and then pour, then thunder all around him. It was a traveler's typical welcome into the Rain. When the trees began to thin too far to be leapt between, Naruto jumped the long distance to the forest floor below, slipping on the muddy turf when his feet hit the ground. He hissed in pain as his chin cracked against the earth.

He pulled himself to his feet and meant to take off again, but froze mid-step. Standing right before him in the downpour was a tall figure dressed in black and red, wearing a beggar's straw hat. It was the man whose face Naruto had seen just once before, but had afterwards seen over again and again in his dreams. The man calmly watched Naruto rise, looking hardly surprised at the boy's sudden appearance. A powerful and malevolent chakra radiated from him, thickening the air as heavily as the rain.

"Pein."

Naruto stepped backwards, awestruck at the god-like presence before him. Pein's narrowed orange eyes seemed to gaze right through him. His fascinating pierced face had Naruto momentarily frozen to the spot.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" the man asked. His voice revealed no trace of concern, but simply demanded an answer.

It was eerie to hear Pein say his name, and he remembered that this man once had plans to kill him. Pein had probably known who Naruto was long before he himself had known of Pein. There was no telling, even now, whether the Akatsuki leader would attack him for use of the Kyuubi.

"Why are you alone?"

With a start, the boy remembered his purpose there.

"I'm here because Sakura needs your help!" he shouted, "You're both in danger right now!"

Pein raised an eyebrow. "Danger? What are you talking about?"

"Sakura's been marked as a deserter and a team of ANBU was sent to kill her! They're on their way to your hideout."

"How do you know that?"

"I overheard some elders talking about it. There's at least one team on their way, but they don't know I'm here."

"I don't understand," he deadpanned. "Have you left your village, too?"

"No!" Naruto growled, "I would never do something like that!"

"Then, Naruto, what reason on earth would you have for telling me something like this? If you're a loyal citizen of your village, and of your country, what you're doing is treason."

Naruto bared his teeth in anger. The man was incredibly frustrating, trying to provoke as like he was. He felt the savage fervor of the Kyuubi rising within him. The beast had woken up in all the excitement, and stirred and whispered as it felt the boy's rage. Naruto just hoped Pein wasn't trying to wake the monster, but it certainly seemed likely. He tried to calm down and focus.

"I know this could be treason, that doesn't matter now. This is about Sakura."

"Sakura is safe where she is, Naruto. One team of Fire Country shinobi won't be a problem, especially considering the company she's in."

Naruto felt sick thinking of those other killers. How dare that man leave her alone with them? Who knows what they were capable of?

"You don't have any faith in Sakura's abilities as a kunoichi, do you?" Pein said. "I happen to think Sakura could handle herself nicely in battle. I've been training her myself."

"_You've_ been training her?" Naruto couldn't hide his shock. It seemed to be beneath a man as powerful as him to train someone at Sakura's fighting level. This Pein was not only frustrating, but he was inexplicably confusing as a person. Maybe he really had taught her well, but Naruto realized he had yet to tell the man the worst part.

"I don't think you don't understand what's going on here. It's not just Konoha that's got you high up in the bingo books, right? Well, Konoha now knows where your hideout is, and I think they've told the other countries. There's no telling how many ninja could be headed there. There could even be an ambush for her the minute she steps outside!"

He half-expected some emotion to seep through the man's composed expression. But of course, there was nothing. Naruto supposed the man was realizing that, even if Sakura could fight off a team head-on, she wouldn't stand a chance against an attack of that magnitude. Even with the members of Akatsuki at her side, there was no telling how it would end.

Pein examined the boy's panicked face. "So why are you telling me this? You know what my plans have been with you Jinchuuriki from the start. And Sakura's a deserter, like you pointed out. She's with me now. Why would you try to save us?"

"Because, Sakura's my friend no matter what she's done, or what company she keeps. She's so important to me . . . and if you're important to her, well, I have to try and do what I can. Right now we've gotta get to her!"

"You're serious about this, then. You want to help us, against your own village?"

Naruto nodded determinedly.

"Then, let's go."

He took off suddenly at top speed, and Naruto followed close behind. They had a long thirty minutes' run, during which time the boy mused about where fate had led him. Not only was he about to fight a team of loyal Konoha shinobi, but he was running alongside the infamous Pein – the murderer who had hurt Gaara, taken Sasuke's eyes, and who had killed the man that Naruto once thought of like a father . . . He glanced over at the man's stone-like face and focused eyes.

Naruto felt himself fortunate that he could control his emotions, push aside his anger, for Sakura's sake.

Xxxxx

"Come on, Sakura! If you don't attack soon, I'll get bored and kill you!"

The blue-haired kunoichi whirled around Sakura in the form of a thousand paper bats, striking at her occasionally with tiny paper cuts that did little more than nick her skin.

Konan's voice laughed all around her as Sakura grumbled amidst the swarm. She knew that Konan was kidding, but she had to admit, the woman's technique was almost flawless. Her skills in taijitsu were useless here, and she had never been so good at ninjitsu. It was only using genjitsu that she had been able to stop Konan last time, but she needed her to be in her true form before she could catch her in it.

"Ow!" A bat collided with her face, and Sakura grabbed at it angrily. She held the little faux beast in her hands and watched it wriggle and flap helplessly. If only she could hit all of them at once . . .

As the swarm circled faster and closed in around her, Sakura was forced to duck and race through it, hands guarding her face. They chased her into the forest. She pulled out a string of kunai and threw it at the bats, pinning several of them to the trees. They simply split in half and came after her again.

Sakura began picking up speed, stopping only when she could no longer hear the flapping of paper wings. She stopped to catch her breath and look around her, but the swarm had disappeared.

She glanced around her for a clue as to where Konan was hiding. She took a deep breath and tried to locate any faint chakra signature nearby. There it was; a slight movement from behind that tree. No, wait, there was something far across the clearing, too. Maybe a clone? Sakura drew out a kunai.

A sudden, sharp pain in her neck. She raised her hand to feel a thin senbon embedded deeply in her throat, just past the jugular. A very vital nerve spot. Her kunai fell to the ground. Sakura froze and stared blankly ahead for a moment. Most of her side had already gone numb, and she could feel her mind slowing down. That had been a very precise shot, meant to immobilize her by destroying her nerve connections.

It wasn't Konan's style to use senbons. Was she really trying to _kill_ her?

She slowed her breathing and tried not to panic, but her knees felt weak beneath her. There was very little she could do at the moment, exposed in the open as she was. She raised her working hand to pull out the senbon, and felt another strike her wrist. Her hand fell down limply at her side.

"Konan?" she whispered weakly to the forest. "What are you doing?"

At that moment, the blue-haired woman herself rose above the treetops not far off, flying on pure white paper wings. She was dodging a surge of shuriken thrown at her from below. Just like her nickname claimed, she really did look like an angel, with wide wings flapping gracefully as she moved. She was frowning down at the source of the shuriken.

She saw Sakura frozen in the clearing. She twisted and disappeared into a thousand tiny butterflies, headed straight for the girl.

"Konan!" Sakura cried, "What's going on?"

Just as the butterflies neared her, a jet of water burst through the trees and hit the swarm. It doused the little things until they fell to the ground, wings too damp to fly. They molded together to form the woman once more. She continued to run over to Sakura, who had slumped to her knees in the dirt.

Konan pulled out the senbon in her neck and examined her, but the damage had already been done. Sakura could hardly move, and it would be a long time until she would regain all her strength back without healing.

"This is the Konoha ANBU," said a male voice behind the woman.

Konan whirled around to see two masked figures in black, both wielding long katanas.

"Give up now, and we may let you live."

Two more leapt down behind them.

Sakura felt like crying. She never thought it would come to this – fighting her own old teammates! But she was thankful she didn't recognize any of the masks. If she did, it might have made this even harder. Feeling some feeling come back into her body, she pulled out the second senbon and stood up shakily.

"Sakura," Konan said, "I have to make sure I know who's side you're on."

Was there still any doubt in her mind? "I'm on Pein's side, Konan, along with you."

"Good." She pulled out two short swords. "Then let's show him what we can do."

The two girls stood in fighting positions, back to back. They were outnumbered, but Sakura felt confident in Konan's abilities as well as her own. She had been trained by Pein, after all.

The ANBU charged; their movements were mere blurs. Sakura dodged and struck as best she could, but she feared she was too slow now to compete with the likes of ANBU. She surprised herself when her fist connected with someone's side. The masked man went flying into the trunk of a tree.

Sakura hardly had time to feel guilty for the blow when Konan called to her from a few meters away. She glanced over to where the woman was pointing. There were a group of people watching from the trees, their masks and hitae-ate labeled with the different symbols of the Grass Country, the Earth Country, the Mist Country!

The Konoha soldier's sword struck within inches of her face, snapping her back to her own fight. Sakura cursed and dodged the attack, just as she saw another team running over. More followed.

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure they could win this. With Pein still gone, and the other Akatsuki members also away, there wasn't much hope of them making it through this battle.

Sakura threw a punch at a Grass Country shinobi who had tossed a shuriken her way. A kunai sliced her thigh. A katana just missed her ear.

Would it all end here? Would she never see his face again?

Sakura knew she was crying as her own kunai struck an anonymous soldier's arm. They were all faceless to her, they were all good people, who didn't deserve to get hurt. Every time she struck back, she avoided the vital spots and aimed to disarm only, but it was getting harder to hold back as the barrage of attacks strengthened.

She didn't see the soldier who remained in the trees, with a bow pulled taught and a poison-tipped arrow aimed at her heart. The bow was released, and not a second later its target was blocked by the body of another.

Sakura gasped as a splatter of blood hit her. She saw the tip of the arrow poking out the back of the black Akatsuki cloak. The figure sank down to the ground before her.

"No!" Sakura cried out. "What did you do?!"

She had been saved by this sudden act of sacrifice. Konan had stepped in front of the arrow to save Sakura. The weapon now stuck starkly out of her chest.

Sakura dove and pulled the limp body of Konan onto her lap. She called upon her healing chakra, intent on saving her. She knew she was leaving herself completely vulnerable to attack, but she didn't care anymore. Not if it meant Konan had given up her life for her.

In a second, Sakura realized why the wound in the woman's chest wasn't healing.

"Poison," she cried, "I can't heal it!"

Konan's eyes opened and she looked up calmly at Sakura. "It's pointless . . . don't try to save me," she said. "Just . . . make sure you live."

"Konan!" she cried out. "Don't die, please! You can't!"

"Please, just take care of him, sweetie."

Her eyes shut again, and her breathing slowed.

Sakura knew the ANBU around her could attack any second. She supposed, bitterly, it was out of some noble guideline they held that they wouldn't jump her while mourning a comrade. But with Konan gone, what chance did she have? Would she be lucky enough that they would finish her off quickly? Or maybe she would be brought back to the village to be executed there. In front of the very people she had left behind.

Sakura's tears spilled over the woman's pale face. After everything she had been through, it would all end here. It had been foolish to leave Konoha. She would die while Pein was away, continuing his reign of terror. She wasn't able to stop him from doing evil, and now Konan was dying because of her choice. Would she never see his face again?

A shout in the distance. Every head turned.

Down from the trees leapt two figures.

"Pein!" Sakura called. Her heart thrilled at the sight of him. In a second he was beside her. His cloak was gone, yet even without it, his very presence made all their opponents jump back several meters.

The other person, the one wearing an Akatsuki cloak and straw hat covering his face, stood silently next to him. Sakura couldn't tell which member it was. He wasn't tall enough to be Kisame, he wore no mask like Tobi, and he definitely wasn't Zetsu. But the small part of face she could see looked familiar. Who was this new member?

"Your ambush has failed," Pein said loudly to the retreated soldiers. "You can't beat me, you know this. Go back where you came from and I'll spare you."

The shinobi looked at each other, and several signs were made, and they scampered off in groups. They must have known they stood no chance against him. Pein turned around and began to smile at Sakura before his eyes fell to the woman in her lap, blood-soaked and still.

He fell to his knees.

"Konan," he said softly. He took her from Sakura's arms.

"She – she saved me," Sakura stumbled through her tears, "It's poison – I don't know what kind. I can't heal her."

He nodded. "Konan, look at me," he said.

The woman's eyes slid open, looking around before focusing on Pein's face. She smiled.

"You're here."

"We can't help you," he said. "Konan, you sacrificed your life to save her. Thank you."

He took her hand.

"Pein . . ." she said slowly, "I've spent my whole life helping you reach your goals . . . I even wanted to die defending you. But, I guess this is just as well . . . you need her, more than you needed me. Pein . . ."

"I've always known I could never repay you for everything you've done for me."

"Please, Pein, just once . . .?" She seemed to be silently asking him a question long overdue.

He lowered his head to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Goodbye, Konan," he said, but her eyes had glazed over, looking blankly towards the sky.

Pein gently closed her eyelids with one hand, and placed her on the ground. He stood up, and Sakura dove into his arms.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried into his shirt, "This is all my fault!"

"It's not," Pein soothed, "Her actions were of her own choice."

"But I'm the reason they came out here! And they'll come after us again - it'll never end! It's because I left that people are getting hurt and killed. It's my fault she's dead - I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me! I can't go on like this!"

Pein wrapped his warm arms around her and let her cry into his chest.

"Shh. It's not your fault what happened to Konan," he said again, but she could hear the odd hint of sadness in his voice. He sobs lessened until she had caught her breath again.

"It's just not fair," she claimed, "We finally have each other now, but everyone keeps trying to tear us apart. First my friends, then my country, and now it seems the entire world is demanding we split up, or die. Why can't they leave us be?"

The painful fear now settled into something hollow within her, like a truth she knew all along and finally accepted.

"Pein, I have to go turn myself in," she said determinedly.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "You can't do that."

"I have to! It's the only way to end this! Don't you understand? They'll never stop chasing us. We can only hide for so long. And then, they'll find us, and hurt you! I can't let that happen. I can't . . ."

Pein pulled back to look at her. He wiped away her tear with a touch and kissed her lips.

"Princess. Listen to me. If we could go somewhere where they couldn't chase us, would you do it?"

"But, what about your work? I can't tell you to drop everything you have here . . ."

"You mean like you did? Of course I can. Actually, I already did."

Sakura paused. "What?"

"The past few days, I've been closing my deals with clients, cutting off ties, and settling all the affairs with my country. I planned on leaving it in Konan's hands . . . but they will have to carry on without either of us."

"I don't get it. What are you saying?"

He smiled. "There's a lot more to the world than just the Fire and Rain," he said. "In my work, I've made connections with the countries across the ocean. Most people don't know it, but there's a lot of land beyond the sea. We can go there, Sakura. We can leave behind everything that's been trying to tear us apart."

Sakura watched him speak with tears in her eyes. It sounded unreal. To leave everything she knew, for a place she'd never heard of? That meant never seeing Konoha again. She'd never again see Tsunade, Ino, Sasuke, or Naruto . . . Naruto!

That's whose face she could barely see under the straw hat. She looked over to her second rescuer, who had taken off the hat and tossed aside the cloak. He now stood awkwardly watching them, in a silence very unlike himself.

"Naruto," she whispered. "You came to save me, too?"

The boy scratched his head and smiled wide, the way only he could. "The things we do for you, Sakura."

She ran to him and threw her arms around him. "I never thought I'd see you again. But how did you get here? And why were you wearing that uniform?"

"Well, to make a long story short, I heard that you'd be attacked. I ran into Pein on my way up here to help. Fortunately, that guy had the sense to realize that if ANBU saw me here, I'd get into some real big trouble. So he lent me his stuff."

Sakura laughed in relief. "Naruto, I swear for a minute, I thought you'd left Konoha too."

"Well, that would have been three for three, huh? Kakashi would have had a conniption."

She smiled, knowing that if she left with Pein, she would miss this boy more than anyone in the village.

"Naruto, Pein said we can leave . . ." She searched his eyes for some sort of acknowledgement.

The boy nodded determinedly. "If I had it my way, you'd be back in Konoha right now. But it's not up to me. Do what makes you happy, Sakura-chan."

She gave him another fierce hug. "Thank you, Naruto. I – I don't know what to say. You've been my best friend for so many years. You've saved my life more times than I can count, and – damnit, I'm gonna miss you so much!"

He forced a smile but the tears still slipped through. "Sakura-chan, I'll miss you even more. You're my best friend, too."

"Will you tell everyone I said goodbye? And to look after themselves. And tell Tsunade and Kakashi I said thank you for everything they've don't for me."

"I will. We'll think of you all the time. Hey, you - Pein,"

He walked over to the man who waited patiently behind her. Naruto stuck out his hand.

Pein looked at it, and Sakura held her breath for fear he'd ignore it. Instead, he shook Naruto's hand.

"Pein," the boy said, "I'm trusting you to take care of her over there. You better keep her safe from now on. I can't be there to help you out."

The man gave a small smile. "I owe you for helping me, Naruto. In fact, considering all I've done to hurt you . . . you turned out to be a person I'm happy for meeting. I can see why Sakura is so fond of you."

Sakura smiled watching them. It was eerie to see them talk like this, as if they knew each other well. But after all, they had worked together to get to her, and Pein had even found a way to save Naruto's status in the village.

"She's fonder of you," the boy smirked.

"Could you . . . see that Konan gets a true burial?"

Naruto nodded. "I'll bring her somewhere she'll be found."

He turned to Sakura again.

"Sakura-chan, nothing's changed. You'll still find a home in Konoha. If you want to come back, you have all your friends on your side."

"Thank you, Naruto." She kissed him on the cheek.

Pein took her hand, reminding Sakura that it was time to leave.

"Ready to go, princess?"

She took a deep breath and nodded, feeling braver knowing she had him by her side again, and this time it was for good. With one last look at the boy she had spent all her childhood with, she took off into the trees with the man she was about to spend the rest of her life with.

It seemed unfathomable that a man like Pein had ever needed something, or someone. She wanted to always be with him, and now, after everything they'd been though, it seemed that that wish could finally become a reality. Every waking moment with him would make her happier than any lifetime spent in the shallow confines of Konoha.

She didn't know what would happen once they reached the land across the ocean. She didn't know where they would live, or what they would do. She didn't even know if she would ever see Konoha again. But what she did know, was that she and Pein would have to take this new journey one step at a time.

And now, they had all the time in the world.

Xxx

End

Xxx

A/N: Wow. I can't believe it's over! After all the time I've spent on this story, I'm gonna miss writing about those two. Thank you all for sticking with me this far, and thank you so much for all your wonderful, inspiriting reviews. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought!!

Gin


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